They say you will know who your true friends are at your lowest
moments. They are those who stick around when you are drowning in
trouble and groping in pitch-black darkness. And this is indeed true,
because even acquaintances can share your mountaintop moments, but
only a select few will choose to hold your hand in the dark.
It is in these same moments where we can have an authentic encounter
with the one true God, who alone has the power to truly turn our lives
around. As the most faithful friend we could ever have, Jesus not only
helps us endure trials through His presence and word, He even gave His
life so that we could have a fresh start.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for
his friends.” John 15:13
We could go through dark valleys when someone intentionally pushes us
there and these are the hardships we go through in life that happen beyond our control. Usually though, it is our sinful nature and rebellious choices
that lead us into this lifeless and hopeless space. When we are living
an aimless, wayward existence, we are essentially dead to sin. We get
into that vicious cycle of guilt, shame, and indulgence, that we no
longer get to live life to the full.
We become desperate and grief-stricken as a captive of the enemy who
wants us to squander our lives. The same enemy who traps us into the
mentality that we can no longer get back into our feet, that there is
no use moving forward, and that all we can do is to sleep or waste our
lives away.
This enemy will also offer to numb our pain with the temporary
comforts that he offers. And as this mentality sinks deeper within us,
we will just find ourselves deeply troubled and unable to escape the
dire consequences of living a sinful life.
“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up
to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled
with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They
are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are
gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful,
inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless,
heartless, ruthless.” Romans 1:28-30
But the good news is we do not have to wait to be at rock bottom to
truly encounter Christ. As always, He is just there waiting for us to
welcome Him into our lives. It is just that we are often too
preoccupied with worldly things, or too debased to hear His call.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with
me.” Revelation 3:20
If we try our best to find Jesus to encounter Him, we may just get to
see a glimmer of hope, a ray of light. He, after all, relentlessly
pursues us and tries His very best to convince us to return to His
fold.
Just like a friend who chooses to lay down precious moments of his
life to hold our hand at our weakest, our Lord reaches out to us so
that we too can be resurrected by the same power that helped Him
overcome death.
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in
you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” Romans 8:11
So how do we seek God? We seek Him in prayer and meditate on His
words. We intentionally spend time with Him, and get opportunities to
know more about Him by regularly attending church, joining bible study
groups, and going on retreats. When we try hard enough to find Him in
our lives and feel His presence, He will oblige.
“I love those who love me, and those who diligently seek me will find
me. Proverbs 8:17
And while abiding in Christ may not exempt us from rock-bottom and
pitch black moments, it means we have a strong foundation, a hand to
hold and hope to live on as we go through life and its ups and downs.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to
ponder on Romans 1:26-31 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Are you going through a dark, troubled season in
your life? How can a deeper relationship with the Lord help you endure
your struggles?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for being the
most faithful friend we could ever have. For pulling us out of the
dark we are in, and allowing us to bask in your light. Please give us
the grace to continue being by your feet, so that we can truly abide
in You all our lives.
