72. WHEN ALL SEEMS LOST
All may seem lost and you may be genuinely tired and fed up after all you have been through but no matter how things seem, how overwhelmed and stuck you may feel, the truth is that all is NOT lost. There is still hope for you and your existence, even if it looks dismally pathetic.
In the Bible, Job had reached a point in his life, where things were so low and so painful, that his wife felt that all was lost and that things would never look up for him ever again. She lost her faith in God and clearly in bitterness of heart and perhaps resentment for the fact that God had allowed all of her children to die, she advised her husband, to just curse him and die.
In Job 2:7 to 9, it tells us that Job was smitten “with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.”
The sight was so dismal and he had suffered for so long and so much, that the Word of God states, “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.”
Thankfully, although in a vulnerable place, hurting and weak, Job did not take this bad advice. He had lost everything, yes, that this world seemed able to offer, his children, his wealth and even his health. There seemed nothing left to be worth living for but Job was still determined to not let go of his faith in God and in his sovereignty. He did not understand why all that had happened to him had happened, when he had tried to serve God faithfully throughout the years and it hurt tremendously. However, he believed that no matter his portion, God was who he said he was and although he had not divulged his plans to him and the rationale behind it, he knew that God was a God that was still worthy of his praise, inspite of all his pain.
He therefore rebuked his wife as was the correct thing to do and he did not sin with his lips against God.
Later on, although he had no clue that God would turn the tide for him while he was still alive and on earth, God restored his health, gave him twice as much as he had had before and blessed him with more children. He granted him long life, so that he lived an hundred and forty more years “and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations.” (Job 42:10, 12-16).
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas, servants of the Lord, had been beaten with many stripes after having been sent to Macedonia by the Spirit of the Lord and after having attended to his business, by weakening the devil’s operations and contributing to the Lord’s.
As a result, those who had previously benefitted financially but could no longer do so, caused them to be taken captive and to be beaten. As if this was not enough, they were placed in prison and their feet in stocks. However, at midnight, instead of feeling sorry for themselves or being resentful against God for allowing them to suffer so immensely after obeying him and doing his work, they prayed and praised him, anyway.
God having been glorified, he decided to intervene.
The Bible states in Acts 16:22-26:
- “And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”
As a result, the jailor who had been charged to keep Paul and Silas, awaking out of sleep and realizing that the doors of the prison were open, he panicked seemingly, concluding to himself that all was lost. He was convinced that the prisoners had escaped and therefore, that he was as good as dead, for not having kept them secure.
Feeling hopeless and seeing no way out of his situation, he picked up his sword with the intention of ending his life. After all, what was the use? He had no answer to give to the authorities and when called before them, they would surely kill him anyway.
He therefore thought it best to end things quickly once and for all.
Yet, despite how he felt and how hopeless the situation looked, all was not lost! There was still hope! In the nick of time thankfully, Paul, seeing what he had done and realizing what he was about to do, immediately intervened, this man’s life being precious to the Lord that he served.
If he killed himself, he would die as a sinner outside of Jesus Christ and the salvation he offered and would surely go to hell. Thankfully though, Paul assured him that he had Silas had not escaped. They were still there.
The Bible states in verses 27 to 34:
- “And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”
Praise God for the aversion of a tragic outcome! Instead of taking his life in what seemed surely like a hopeless situation not worth continuing on in, this man and his household were guided instead to Jesus Christ, who they believed on by faith. Clearly convicted by Paul and Silas’ conduct and story, he knew that he was missing something vital in his life. His soul was in need of salvation.
Paul having assured him that they were still there, he stopped listening to the voice of the devil which had lied to him by telling him that his life was hopeless and prompted him to end his life and instead, sought the way of eternal life.
In John 10:10, Jesus rightly said when speaking of the devil’s evil mission, compared to why he had come to earth: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
As a result of this man turning to Jesus, he went from concluding that his life was hopeless, to clinging by faith and in dependence, on the Lord of hope. The outcome was that his physical life alone was not preserved that day but he also gained spiritual life, which would last for all eternity! For, when he believed on Jesus Christ and surrendered his life to his Lordship, he became his child, was indwelled by God’s holy Spirit and was adopted into his heavenly family!
What the authorities would say became secondary, in light of the joy he had found. In boldness, he attended to the wounds of Paul and Silas, who were now his brothers in the Lord and fed them.
Indeed, he and his family could now say, as Paul wrote to the Christians at Colosse:
- “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”
(Written on 20th May, 2024)
ADDENDUM
I felt the need to write this Article as a note to myself mainly. Sometimes I am in need of encouragement and so, have to do like David and encourage myself in the Lord. Lately, I’ve been having one of those moments where I feel sad and down and purposeless in life.
I know that I have purpose and that that is why I have been left on this earth to date, by God but due to pressures without and pressures within and areas in my life that seem so stagnant and for so long, sometimes I feel as if I’m drifting through life.
I know that God hasn’t forgotten me and that he knows exactly what he is doing. I also know that I deserve nothing good and am deserving even of death. Yet, there are days when I find it hard to carry on, although I must. Particularly, I’ve been grieving the fact that, at the age of forty-three and with signs of ageing beginning to show, no suitor has come my way and if I do happen to notice someone who has made a profession of faith, he doesn’t ever seem to notice me or to be seriously interested in building anything with me. At my age, most of my cousins and other family members are married and have children, a home, a good stable job and much more.
I am not envious and am content in whatsoever state God will have me. However, sometimes I look at my situation and wonder. I have knocked against the door of singleness for years and years, yet it refuses to budge. I have no children and no family of my own, although I have longed for years to have one to serve. I have no house and no land and am nowhere close to getting any of these. Although I am a hard worker, my finances are far from decent and expenses arise every day, like unexpected medical issues, which I have to spend money that I did not plan on addressing. Searching for another job has so far yielded nothing, there being close to zero opportunities where I live, in my area of experience and with the skills and competencies that I have. Having had two (2) failed businesses in the past, the thought of opening another one so as to try to gain extra finances is something I am unwilling to do at this point.
All and in all, I feel as if, despite my best efforts, I am going around in circles, making no real progress and going through life alone, with no proper earthly support system in terms of loving relationships.
Some days, I am like, what’s the sense? I can’t do anything about my situation and am here until God decides my time has come to go but sometimes, I wonder, what’s the sense of my existence? I am not important to anyone, am generally regarded as if I don’t exist and most days, I experience overwhelming loneliness. I have prayed and prayed for my situation to change but to date, there has been no real improvement.
In thinking on this though, I remembered that there were some people in the Bible who, due to different trying circumstances were also at low points in their lives, where all seemed lost. Yet, all was not lost. This was simply the devil trying to get them to give up and to throw in the towel, in moments where they were most weary. Once they disregarded his voice (his intention being to kill, steal and destroy) and chose instead to focus on the Lord (the one who came to give abundant life), he, the Lord was enough to keep them afloat and to get them through whatever they were going through.
I know therefore, that even when I don’t feel like, what I need to make it through my situation is to disregard the enemy’s voice of hopelessness, doom and discouragement and to look to the Lord of hope, to spend time meditating on his Word and to continue to pray to him. When I feel lonely, I need to turn to him. When I feel oppressed, I need to turn to him. When people misunderstand me and are cruel to me, I need to turn to him and when I feel like I can’t go one step further, I need to turn to him. I need not bear my burdens alone. He invites me to cast them all on him.
I also need to do my part, by obeying him. Many times, we find ourselves in difficult situations, hardships and sterile-like circumstances because of our own disobedience. Repentance where we know we have sinned is therefore key.
All and in all, when going through what we are going through, we can feel so intoxicated by the extent of our pain and as if we are drowning hopelessly in our troubles, that we are tempted to turn to everything else other than to the Lord. Praying seems difficult and spending time in his Word, like a task. However, we must fight the good fight of faith and will ourselves to spend time in God’s presence. We must pray always, as we are told to do in God’s Word and place all of our burdens on him, who cares for us, considers our burden light and is able to succour us, no matter the nature of our trouble.
This is my note to myself, first and foremost, based on all that I am dealing with at the moment. It is a lot and truth be told, I am weary but deep down I know that God is able. May he strengthen me in this time, give me the wherewithal to endure and may I remain focused on HIM, even in my endlessly long valley, whether he wills this to be my portion permanently or for a prolonged season.
(Addendum written on 20th May, 2024)