God Promises to Help in Dark Places

 When you are going through hard trials, God promises to help. Here are some Bible promises that you can rely on. 

You are weak, but you refuse to stop believing.. God will reward you.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Mt 5:3 NIV

You are broken, misunderstood, mistreated, but you refuse to blame God. God wants to comfort you.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Mt 5:4 NIV 

You are in a dark place. You see no way out, but the light of God's love shines in the darkness.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Jn 1:5 NIV

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Ps 23:4 NASB95

You are in trouble, but Jesus is on your side. Don't give up!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jn 16:33 NIV

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom 8:31 NIV

When you are mistreated, never give in to hate and bitterness. God still loves you. Never give in.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Rom 12:21 NIV

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. Jas 1:12 NIV

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Ps 23:4 NASB95

 God is our shelter and strength,. always ready to help in times of trouble. 

So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken. Ps 46:1-2 Good News Bible
 

Comfort from God

 You are weak, but you keep believing. God will reward you.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Mt 5:3 NIV

You are broken, misunderstood, mistreated, but you refuse to blame God. God wants to comfort you.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Mt 5:4 NIV

You are in a dark place. You see no way out, but the light of God's love shines in the darkness.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Jn 1:5 NIV

You are in trouble, but Jesus is on your side. Don't give up!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jn 16:33 NIV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom 8:31 NKJV

When you are mistreated, never give in to hatred and bitterness. God still loves you. Never give up.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Rom 12:21 NKJV

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 
Jas 1:12 NKJV

Beautiful Thoughts are Therapeutic

I felt discouraged and a little depressed. It was only ten days after a life saving operation and didn't  feel strong. That's normal. I was grateful for the operation.

But I'm human and I have dark moods sometimes. I wanted to write a blog post to encourage others, but I had no inspiration.

Then I took a shower and suddenly a song came to mind. Intuitively, I knew it was from God.

When the dog bites,
When the bee stings,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favourite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

This is from the film, ‘The Sound of Music’.

Fond memories came to mind. I saw my grandmother's house, which I loved so much. I saw myself in the living room of my parents' house when I loved playing chess with my father as a child.

There are some strict Christians who disapprove of daydreams, but Paul said we must always be thankful and let beautiful thoughts shape our minds.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Php 4:8 NIV

God Heals and Transforms Trauma

 The way of love can be hard. You have sincerely tried to be a faithful Christian, but you have been overwhelmed with all kinds of obstacles for years.

Joan Hunter is the daughter of Charles and Frances Hunter, who were pioneers in the healing ministry. She too was faithful and gifted to proclaim healing and salvation.

She married a man who was supposed to be a faithful Christian, but it turned out that he was homosexual and committed adultery with men.

Her heart was broken. She had children she had to raise alone. What happened to her ministry? Through her own experience, she became deeply familiar with trauma. Her tragedy became a treasure of healing for many traumatised women and men.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 

who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Cor 1:3–4 NASB95

If you are deeply traumatised in your soul, you must understand that it is not just your thoughts and feelings that are hurt. Your whole being is damaged: your brain, your heart, your health.

Forgiveness is a necessary aspect of the healing process, but many counsellors go wrong when they give good advice. ‘Just Forgive.’

Forgiveness is not easy and it is not painless. Forgiveness is also only part of the healing process.

Abuse and trauma can ruin your whole being. There are people who must be rebuilt all over again.

‘Just forgive’ as formulaic advice is a poisoned chalice.

Traumatised people need healing, as do patients who are dying with cancer.

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. Ps 147:3 NASB95

Are you perishing? Your pain can become medicine for other suffering people.

I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. Eph 3:13 NIV

Paul had to suffer a lot as a missionary. He wrote his letters to the Ephesians and Colossians in prison. As a suffering prisoner, Paul received and passed on marvellous revelations.

His suffering became a marvellous blessing for the Ephesians.

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. Ps 147:3 NASB95

Are you crushed? Your pain can become medicine for other suffering people.

Blessing in Suffering

 For Jesus, the cross was the most terrifying nightmare. On the evening of His arrest, after the Last Supper, He was overcome with horror.

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mk 14:36 NIV

An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Lk 22:43–44 NIV

The cross was an unbearable agony, but it was the way Jesus had to go to redeem us.

The agony of the cross was God's plan before the foundation of the world so that God's eternal Son would take the punishment for our sins. He loves you.

Thank you Jesus.

But Jesus was not the only one who had to suffer in order to pass on God's grace. The devil does not want to allow God's grace to be passed on without cruel resistance.

Paul was terribly persecuted.

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 2 Cor 11:24–25 NIV

Even today, tens of thousands of Christians are murdered every year and even more are tortured in prisons.

Are you under threat now? The cross was the unthinkable torture for Jesus, but it was the way to God's heaven, not only for Himself, but for countless people, including you and me.

About six years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. I had prayed beforehand that no cancer would show up in the biopsy, but God allowed the cancer so that I would have a testimony.

Recently I had another biopsy. The very tiny tumours were still there but had not grown or progressed in 6 years. I never needed treatment and the specialist said I would probably never need it. God moves in mysterious ways.

It has been a tough trial, but my testimony not only grew my faith, but it was a strong encouragement to my family and friends.

We don't get far without hard trials. How would David have become a great king and prophet without Goliath?

For Daniel, the lion's den was not a stumbling block, but a stepping stone through which he was vindicated. The lion's den was not his defeat, but his victory.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a role model for the German nation and for Christians all over the world. He was murdered by the Nazis shortly before the end of the war. Without Adolf Hitler, his influence would never have been so great.

I love testimonies of miraculous healings and near-death experiences, but most of these people had to first experience illness or death in order to be able to testify of Jesus and his glory.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Rom 8:28 NIV

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 

For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 2 Cor 1:3–5 NIV

I have never enjoyed the loving presence of God more than in hard times.

God Wants to Comfort You

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Mt 5:4 NRSV

Who can expect comfort from God?

According to some commentaries, this only applies to people who are sorry for their sins and want to repent, or to Christians who mourn in a close relationship with Jesus because of the sins in the world.

It is undoubtedly true that God forgives and comforts us when we hate our sins and want to repent.

It is also true that Jesus weeps over the sins of the world. When we weep in close communion with him, we experience the comfort of his tender love.

But can we only expect God's comfort when we mourn over sin?

When your child or sister dies, are you happy? No. You are devastated. This has nothing to do with sin, but God is love. He loves you deeply and wants to comfort you.

If your beloved dog dies, do you think your grief is not important to God?

I appreciate good Bible commentaries. I've been an avid student of the Bible for years.

But beware of pious sermons that focus on sin with a narrow religious view.

This religious mindset all too often leads to a critical attitude when dealing with neighbours and colleagues.

With a narrow focus on virtue and sin, one can become unconsciously judgemental, like the Pharisees in the Bible.

This way of thinking also often leads to unloving religiosity in congregations and painful guilt complexes in Christians who want to be holy.

Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered by the thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. Lk 12:1 NRSV

He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. Ps 147:3 NRSV

Whatever your reason for suffering, Jesus wants to comfort you. If you choose to believe in His love and trust Him, you will experience His comforting love.

Am I saying that your sin is not an issue for Jesus?

God forbid! Jesus died to take the punishment for our sin. Jesus feels your pain; He loves you unconditionally just as you are, but He not only wants to forgive your sins completely, He also wants to remove them.

He wants to help you live a whole new life and enjoy His loving friendship.

Seeking God in the Darkness

 God sees your suffering and your distress, and it distresses Him. He wants to comfort you.

God sees your need and wants to help you.

God sees you being overwhelmed by the expectations of your family, your employer or your church, and he wants to give you new strength and wisdom. Not all of the duties that are imposed on you are from God.

You silently cry out in your heart, "Where is God?" But God is there, and He wants to open the eyes of your heart so that you can see His love.

Can you hear the silent voice of God?

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Rev 3:20 NIV

You are told to read your Bible, but the letters are cold and dead to you. God wants to awaken your spirit.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Mt 7:7–11 NIV

Please don't give up. God's heart beats for you. Is God hidden from you? If God is hidden, it is not so that you won't find him, but so that you will seek him and find him.

WHAT IS GOD REALLY LIKE?

What is God really like? 

We can so easily get confused about this. 

• You look at your life and you match what you see against the high standards of religious virtue. You start to think of God as a fearsome judge and you hide from Him.

• Or you look around and you think, if there is a God, how could he be good, to make a world so full of cruelty and suffering?

• Or you look away from humanity in horror and see the glory and beauty of nature, so you long to be in harmony with the mysterious spiritual essence permeating all that beauty. 

• Love and relationships always disappoint you, so you despair of finding a personal God. Often people let you down and sometimes the church that preaches a personal God is no better, sometimes but not always.

With the limitations of our faulty human nature, there is no way out of this confused mess.

As children we enjoyed the love of our mother and father, or if not we longed to have such a love. We heard stories where people lived happily ever after and we wanted them to be true.

There is no way out and no way home to the dreams of our childhood.

But as I grew older, I found there were at least some people who had found love and peace and a heavenly hope that was not just shallow religion. Of course I was confused and disappointed by much of what I saw in Christian churches but I longed for something better. 

• I didn’t find it in the worship of natural beauty or in yoga or poetry. I didn’t find it in psychology or religion.

I found it in the lives of some people who followed Jesus. 

They were full of love and they accepted me. When I was with them, I felt a warm glow like an aura, a spiritual fragrance in the atmosphere. 
I felt a spiritual presence far warmer and sweeter and more comforting than the spiritual atmosphere around New Age people. There was a comfort that was real and inviting far better than anything I had ever known.

• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 

  • who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.