The Christmas season is over, the New Year has arrived, and now that the excitement of the holidays has passed, the harsh realities of life often come back into focus in a particularly discouraging way. I’d imagine that many people enter into this mid-January feeling unmotivated, dreary, and far from where they want to be. Whether you’re feeling weighed down by your own struggles with sin, the pain of broken relationships, the grief of loss, or any number of other trials and difficulties, we all find ourselves, at one point or another, in need of a sure and steadfast hope that goes far beyond the present circumstances of our daily lives.
I recently sat down with my nearly-three year old son to read our nightly Children’s Bible story, and we happened to land on my favourite story from the Old Testament—the story of Joseph. At its core, Joseph’s story is a remarkable reminder of the fact that God is at work even in the midst of our darkest circumstances. Joseph faced many hardships and spent many dark nights rotting away in a prison cell as an innocent man, and I’m sure that in his lowest moments he struggled to feel any sense of hope at all. And yet, at the end of the story, Joseph could stand in front of those who wronged him so deeply and say with absolute confidence, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).
No matter what trials we face, no matter what darkness weighs heavily on us this time of year, we can know with certainty that God’s purposes are always meant for our good. Even when we can’t see how any good could ever come from our circumstances, we can know without any shadow of doubt that Paul’s words to the church in Rome are still true today—“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). God has promised that he is working for our good even in the most difficult trials, and he has promised all his children an eternal inheritance that is guaranteed in Christ. Paul would also write, “for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18), and this exact same sentiment remains true for each one of God’s children today.
So whatever trials you face, whatever burdens weigh you down as you look ahead to a cold, dark, and grey winter, know for certain that you are bound for the promised land—for a new world in which your tears will be wiped away and your suffering will cease. And know that God is at work, even in your present trials, and will use those very same trials as a means to bring you safely all the way to your eternal home.
All the best,
Luke