Sometimes a Christian must pass into a dark place of test and sorrow. The sky of life gets dingy and a chill wind embraces the peace of our soul. Gray clouds surround all thoughts of hope, and the rainbow of joy seems a distant and unreachable memory. Pain touches us on all sides. Fear and doubt prevail; and the certainty of God’s love may even fall into question.

People accuse us of false doings, or worse than that we accuse ourselves. Confusion sets in and we don’t know if we are right or wrong. We start searching our heart for that deed that has placed us beneath the hand of chastisement. We begin to doubt our every move. And then, taking advantage of our weakness of spirit, the Deceiver begins to whisper words of self-guilt, shame, and of our personal worthlessness to ourselves and to God.

Because we have set our mind upon the height of the mountain rather than upon the Creator of mountains the burden becomes more than a man can endure. We would quit, throw in the towel, give up all struggle, and lay down to die. All that is self will collapse beneath so great a weight as what a Christian must at times carry.

Faith, at times, seems senseless. The darkness overwhelms. The trouble offers no way out. If only there were some place to stop for a break, some narrow ledge for a moment’s breath, some handhold of relief. Does He not care? Does He not understand? Can He not see that we can go no further?

But continue we do, for we have not yet reached the essence of the power within us. So the trial grows greater, and the fear of falling consumes all hope. It seems there is never to be an end.

Then it is that we finally see that the Father is greater than our troubles. Do not falter, but continue to cling to His holy hand. There is a place in the greatest depths of the trial where the light is bright and the smoke cleared and where our weakness becomes His strength. It is here that we learn how those things we have perceived as our destruction are instead our greatest hope and power.

We threw in the towel. We said to God, “I quit. I can bear no more.” He threw it back, and in words that resound through the Christian heart, he said, “No. We do not quit. We conquer.”

The spirit leaps as we understand that the “We” is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He will never leave us nor forsake us. We are kept by a power that is far greater than man’s will or the weakened flesh.

On the wings of an eagle, Hope rises. Faith leaps. Unspeakable joy erupts from our heart, expressing itself in a song that the lost man will never understand. The clouds recede; the rainbow of promise fills the sky. Though the pain may remain for yet a season, though the trial is not yet unbroken, the joy of the Lord takes away all sorrow. We have been tried and we have seen for ourselves that He is faithful and worthy to be trusted.

“Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry; give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal. Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. Concerning the words of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me and hear my speech,” (Psalm 17: 1-6).

About the author:

Hi, rmharrington here.

Thank you for reading my articles and stories. My goal is to glorify God, lift up the name of Jesus, and to provide quality reading material.

For more articles on hope, Christian struggles, and life visit me at:
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Thank you again.