In this second week of Advent, as we consider the impact of Jesus on human history, here is a devotion that reminds us of God’s sovereignty even in the midst of dark times:

IN WORD – Some Christians feel guilty when they find it hard to be joyful in the face of painful trials. The weeping of prophets and priests, the book of Lamentations, and many other grief-filled passages in the Bible make it clear to us: It’s okay to mourn. We do not have to have our happy faces on all the time. We are to be authentic people, and sometimes we’re authentically sad. That’s expected.
But we do need to realize a profound truth in the midst of our sadness: God is in it. We may find that hard to believe. How could a loving God allow this disaster to strike us? How could disease and death serve His purposes? How can He say He cares while He lets these kinds of trials go on? These are hard questions that brief devotionals can’t answer.
But the witness of the Word, nevertheless, is that God is sovereign and He is intimately involved in our pain. He was with Joseph in his brothers’ treachery and his long imprisonment; He was with Joshua in every battle for the Promised Land; He was with Jeremiah in the destruction of Jerusalem; and He was actually in Jesus on the Cross. His hand had a purpose in every one of these traumatic events. He did not frantically come up with plans B, C, or D because of an unforeseen failure in His plan A. He had already counted on the trials to come. They were part of His foreknowledge and His design from the beginning.
IN DEED – Isn’t that comforting? Maybe not as comforting as a quick resolution to your problem would be, but God has His purposes, and His purposes have their proper time. Meanwhile, you hurt. You don’t have to deny that. But try to recognize that God is deeply involved in your critical moments, even when He seems critically absent. Just because life seems difficult doesn’t mean God has missed something. He knows all about “difficult.” He didn’t promise easy, pain-free lives. He promised redemption. Dedicate your trial to His glory. “It is part of His plan. He who knows how to suffer will enjoy much peace.” — Thomas A’Kempis (in “Walking with God” by Chris Tiegreen)

Christmas reminds us that God does not abandon us. When Jesus was born, the nation of Israel was under the boot of the Roman empire. The puppet king Herod added another layer of oppression. Yet it was in the midst of such darkness that Jesus was born, fulfilling hundreds of Old Testament prophecies.
Even the world understands this with countless Christmas movies of hope.
The question is whether you share this very same hope. If you are going through a time of trial, do you have this confidence of God’s promised intervention? Take time to read Isaiah 40 – 45 this week, a chapter a day, and reflect on the hope we have in God; then ask the Holy Spirit to help you deepen your trust in the Lord to bring you out of the dark valley into His wonderful light. Have a blessed week! – from Singapore, Pastor Sam