“There is Jesus, comforting us through the darkest nights and most difficult days.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 15, 2024
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. 1 Peter 5:10
The late Corrie ten Boom who survived the Ravensbruck concentration camp said, “God has plans, not problems for our lives.” She believed this empowering truth even though injustice abounded: her sister Betsie and father died at the hands of the Nazis, and she watched brutalities beyond comprehension as innocent people were gassed, shot, and abused.
Echoing Corrie’s sentiment before she died, her sister said, “There is no pit so deep that He [God] is not deeper still.” Betsie knew God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purposes.
It can be difficult in some circumstances to believe God works all things for our good. There are awful things. Devastating things. Things too terrible. We think, “There’s nothing good that can come from that.” I wonder if Joseph, Moses, Paul or the disciples ever thought that circumstances were too much.
Too much pain.
Too much difficulty.
Too much heartache.
Too much despair.
Too much for anything good to come.
Too much bad and not any beauty.
Just too much.
But there is Jesus, always taking what seems horrible, no matter what it is and bringing beauty from it. I don’t mean to make light of these things. Life isn’t easy. If it was supposed to be, God would have made it that way. It’s then that we experience Jesus in a fresh way. It’s then that we feel Him all the closer. It’s then that we know He is there, giving us what we need.
There is Jesus, comforting us through the darkest nights and most difficult days.
There is Jesus sustaining us one minute at a time.
There is Jesus, wiping away our tears.
There is Jesus waking us up with a song in the night.
There is Jesus speaking truth to us when nothing makes sense, and the world crumbles around us.
He is there, bringing magnificent beauty out of every trial because that’s who He is. He is beauty—and only beauty can come from beauty. There is no darkness in God. Pure beauty can’t produce anything else—even though it can be difficult to understand.
On social media, survivors of Hurricane Helene are posting about the beauty that has come from this devastating trial: community, selflessness, people showing up with just what they need at the right time. God answering prayers. Not that it’s not hard. It can be harder than I can imagine. But He’s present and He will carry us through anything we have to endure.
If we think that no beauty can come from our difficult, awful, terrible experiences, it’s only because we don’t recognize the depth of His love, how beautiful He is, how powerful He is, and how precious we are to Him.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).
Prayer
Jesus, there are terrible, awful things going on in the world right now. My heart is breaking for what is happening. Help me not to become offended. Help me not to blame you. Help me to press into you, open my heart and look for your beauty. One day, this storm will pass and I will see you face-to-face. Until then, I choose to trust you every moment. Amen.
Application
Ask the Lord how He wants you to respond to today’s devotional.
Related Reading
2 Corinthians 4:17; Colossians 1:24; Isaiah 53:3
Worship Resource
Kari Jobe: Be Still
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