The dark times is the best time to see the grace of God. It is the best place to become the person of greatness. Tim Keller
God knows how we speak when we’re desperate. Perhaps, you also prayed foolish prayers when you are in desperate plea when you are in the season of lows of life. We all face dark seasons; hopelessness in the wilderness. And if you’re in that season now, there would be a lot of pruning and molding but your restoration would come; a change of heart. You will realize how gracious He is as a father to his children.
Tim Keller once said when we faced dark season we will realized who God is, “I am your God not because you say everything right or you do everything right. I am God because I am the God of grace.“
You know what; it is easy to obey God when everything is in favor with us, right? When the circumstance is good and beautiful, when our jars are full and overflowing, when our feet are firm and our shoulders are strong. In the same way, it is easy to love other people who are at the peak of their success, who are in their best version, and it is easier to leave the people who are in their broken pieces. In the same way, in loving ourselves, it is so hard to find our worth as a person when everything falls apart, when we are lost and purposeless.
I can’t imagine how hard it is for Job to experience suffering, loss, and grief. He was a righteous man, yet God allowed him to suffer. He also uttered a desperate plea, but God still called Him a righteous one and restored his life and blessed him more than he could imagine.
But when I was crawling in the valleys of life and struggling in silence, it reminded me of who Jesus is. Reading the book of John these past few days, bring me back to the one who endured everything so whoever believes in Him will have a new life, a life filled with so much grace.
He did a lot of healing way back then. He performed miracles in desperate lands. He found the lost, he washed feet; he fed thousands of people, and he met invalids, blind, and lame. He fought injustice; he loved and never condemned anyone, and he wept with his friends. He went to desperate lands and met broken people. But despite those, He was accused, mocked, hated, afflicted, oppressed, betrayed, murdered, and crucified. He was forsaken by His Father and bear all the consequences of our sins. Jesus experienced dark times too, great suffering that no one of us could endure. It is only Jesus Christ.
God loves us unconditionally. His love is reckless, undeniable, remarkable, and lasting. So when you are experiencing a dark season of your life, just pour out your questions to God. And look to Jesus, you are never forsaken, Jesus already did it all on the cross, and you will never be alone anymore. I thought the phase of the dark season was punishment and we are required for more good works but it wasn’t, we will all go through the dark season even if we think we’re good enough because the truth is no one is good enough, it is only by God’s mercy and grace that we can come to Him because of what Christ did on the cross. It will never be about our good works. It is only because we have a relationship in Christ so no one can boast.
We are all living in a broken world with flawed human beings. We all experience suffering and grief to a different extent. But the resurrection of Jesus gives us hope, healing, true belongingness, and redemption from the dark season, crucifixion before resurrection. Our dark phase also meant for transformation, to be more like Christ if we will walk in faith and in obedience.
Hope is rising, beloved! JESUS has overcome the world. Take heart!
20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name
John 16:20-23
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world your will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33
