Have you been there? I am sure you have. Walking through that dark place, that valley where everything seems gloomy and dim. The bright colors of joy seem to fade into many shades of despondent gray. Where is the clarity? Where is that bright future that you hear people talk about or preachers preach about? My, my… yes, you know what I mean or you will.
Lately, I have been there… trying to find the light of directionality in Christ. In my humanity, I am tempted to shout at the world… “Walk a while in my shoes!” The truth is, however, that many have. Trouble and strife are not appointed to a few. All of us will encounter them along the way. For the Christian, They can come for various reasons. Sin, poor planning, divine circumstance, divine testing, materialism, slothfulness, and on and on it can go. Sometimes, there may not be a clear answer to the “why” question. It is possible that you did nothing at all to bring it upon yourself. Just be sure that is the case.
Sometimes, difficulties are simply a mechanism to temper us or prepare us for a future opportunity. Recently, my pastor preached a sermon about stress and its ill effects. A verse that he pointed out rang out in my spirit that Sunday morning. 1 Peter 5:10 says this:
[su_blockquote cite=”Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ”]And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.[/su_blockquote]For the believer, it is imperative to remember to read relevant scriptures and place our trust in the truths found within them. This may sound like a simple, no-brainer kind of statement; but if you are in a valley, everything starts to get a bit fuzzy. Focus and clarity often escape you. So, keep marching on. The valley will give way to God’s restoration in His time. Suffering is temporary. Eternity is forever. Trust God. He is in control. Amen.
