Darkness Will Not Last

When we’re in a hard place, it feels like the darkness will last forever, but it won’t. The Bible tells us there is a time for everything in life. A time for joy and, unfortunately, a time for pain (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). Because we live in a broken world, we all experience hurt and loss. But the pain won’t last forever. One day we will begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Yet, it can be hard to hold on to hope when you’re in a dark place. You might be in physical pain or dealing with emotional hurt. Maybe you have a lot of uncertainty or anxiety about life. However you’re struggling, God invites you to come to Him. God is good—so good that He came to be with us in the pain, in the brokenness, in the struggle. Jesus is God in flesh. He lived among us, “a man of suffering, and familiar with pain he took up our pain and bore our suffering” (Isaiah 53:3-4). On the cross, Jesus took all the sin of the world on Himself so that He could heal our brokenness, and so that everyone who puts their trust in Him could be brought near to God. Because Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, we have the sure hope that He will return and bring heaven to earth. As we wait for this day, we can remember that God promises He will wipe away our tears (Revelation 21:4). Remember that Jesus is with us, and He also promised that God will send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be in Christians (John 14:16-17, 26). Remember the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). It can feel like the darkness will last forever, but it won’t. One day we will see how God got us through the hard times in our lives. And right now, we can cling to Jesus—like Paul and Silas did. Even when they were stripped, beaten, and chained up in prison, they “were praying and singing hymns to God, and other prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25). As Christians, we have the same Holy Spirit inside us, strengthening us. We can praise God in the darkness, and we can praise Him when He brings us into the light. • Bethany Acker • When you feel discouraged, are there verses or stories in the Bible that lift you up? Does one of the verses above resonate with you? • Can you think of a time you were going through something hard, but you knew God was with you? What did that feel like? Consider taking a moment to thank God for this. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. Isaiah 40:31a (NIV)