Have you ever been on a car or train journey and have gone through a long tunnel? Sometimes, it feels like forever until you finally see the light again after all that darkness. It feels good like somehow all is again right with the world. Light always looks good but only for one reason and that is that we can clearly see. Darkness causes us not to see clearly. We may see shapes or shadows or occasional glimpses of light but because we can’t distinguish anything clearly, it causes us to feel exposed.
This can happen in our lives too. We can be going through some tough times either with our family, our work, our friends or even in the church. We can feel that we can’t clearly see the way through. We may feel like we are floundering or going backwards when we should be going forwards. It can seem our world is turned upside down and it will never be right again. But I have good news for you- the other side and the light will always come. Light is always at the end of the tunnel. So how can we be sure we will come out the other side?
1. God promises us that we will. In Psalm 23, it states that even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear because God is with me. If God’s Word states that we are walking through, there must be an end to that valley. God promises us two things in these verses. The first is that we will get through and the second one is that He will never leave us. But there is a condition to these promises. They are that we keep walking and we keep trusting in God.
How do we keep walking? One step at a time. They may not be big steps but if we keep going forward, we will eventually get there. How else can we keep walking? By being like a little child and holding God’s hand. Keep your trust and faith in God. Find a comforting scripture like God will never leave me nor forsake me and hold onto it until you see it come to life in your journey.
2. God doesn’t give us more than we can bear. Like a parent, we don’t give our children chores or things to do that are beyond their ability. We don’t expect our one year old who just started walking to climb a mountain. God is a loving Heavenly Father and will not give us more than we can cope with. The only reason we may not be coping is because we are relying on ourselves. Time to let go and let God. He will see you through the tunnel.
3. Our journey isn’t over yet. If you haven’t fulfilled the plan that God has for your life, your journey isn’t over – unless you give up. Our will is the only thing stopping us from fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. We need to keep going. There are countless people that are relying on our ability to walk through the tunnel. It is so they know they can follow. If we have done it, so can they.
For those starting to go through the tunnel, remember God is with you. For those in the middle, keep walking and holding God’s hand. For those at the end, encourage those on their way through. Together we can fulfil the plan God has for all our lives.
Bless you all and keep living the life God intended for you.
Great reminder Karen – that God is in the tunnel with us, and that it will not last forever. Loved your reference to Glimpses of Light as we did an anthology of that name a couple of years ago. Those glimpses remind us of God’s love and keep us going.
Thanks Janette for that comment. Yes it is the goodness and grace of God that gets us through.
Thanks for the great encouragement. I like your analogy too with the tunnel, it’s creative and speaks to me on a deeper level. Thanks!
How common this experience is. God often takes us into tunnels so that we learn to trust him in the darkness. After all it is so easy to trust him when everything is easy.
Thanks for those encouraging words, Karen. God’s been reminding me lately of the importance of perseverance. Sometimes it can seem like that tunnel is never-ending. But you’re so right that if we keep walking a step at a time, we’ll eventually get there with God’s help. Thanks for sharing.