Jesus is the light of the world. Simultaneously, He is the light at the end of the tunnel.
I think we all have come across several points in our lives where we’ve been in a desperate need to see that light. As in, we not only need to lean into Jesus, but we also need to see that there is an end to the dark tunnel we’re in, and that He is already there, and He has already figured it out. Whether we’re going through a life-changing event, are dealing with mental or physical health issues or we just find ourselves in a deep rut, we tend to strive day after day for a way out of it on our own. We try to deliver ourselves, and that’s not going to work. However, what will work is divine deliverance from the Lord, and the Word has a lot to say about that. Turn with me to Genesis, Mark and Psalms.
Our human eyes tend to look up at a circumstance, and to us, the word “impossible” is written all over it. Then we can sit in the misery of that circumstance and accept the lie that “it’ll always be this way.” Well, that isn’t how our God functions. We see this so many times throughout the Bible, but I’ll focus on the story of Joseph and Israel (also known as Jacob) in Genesis. For context, in Genesis 37, Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery out of their jealousy over him. Joseph ended up in Egypt, where he started as a slave and ended up a high-ranking official. In Genesis 48, Joseph gets word that his father, Israel, is sick, and goes with his two sons to see him. Upon seeing these three, the Bible tells us that “Tearfully, Israel said to Joseph, ‘I never thought I’d see your face again, and now, God has let me see my grandchildren as well!”’ (Genesis 48:11 TPT).
That verse shows us that God can not only deliver us from a circumstance, but also bless us more than we could imagine after He does so. When we look at something so dire or deep that we think it’s an impossible hole to dig ourselves out of, we have to remember that God can do anything He wants to, even if it doesn’t make sense to us. In fact, it is not our job to understand how He’s going to deliver us, but it is our job to understand that He will do so and to obey Him wholeheartedly in the meantime.
On the topic of meantime, we can grow anxious or complacent as we wait for deliverance. Or, sometimes, we just become numb (again, circling back to the lie that “it’ll always be this way”). This reminds me of Mark 5:25-34, when a woman who had been bleeding continually for 12 years knew that if only she could touch Jesus’ robe, she would be healed. Instead of resigning to the lie that she’d always be afflicted, this woman reached out in faith for deliverance. We must do the same. We can’t be so faithless as to bow to our circumstances when we know that there’s a God who is ready and willing to deliver us from them, even if we’ve been stuck in them for several years. There are several places where this happens in the Bible. Check out the stories of Sarah and Abraham, the entire book of Exodus, and the Gospels (and those aren’t all!). Indeed, the faithful see miracles happen. They understand that deliverance is coming and they anticipate it.
Once we have the faith to anticipate that deliverance, we realize that in that wait, in every desperate moment, God was, is and always will be there. Before then, though, we wonder if God is truly hearing us or if He truly cares. We wonder if He hears that grueling cry for relief, for an answer or for a change. The answer to all three of those is yes. In Psalm 56:8 (TPT), David writes, “You’ve kept track of all my wandering and my weeping. You’ve stored my many tears in your bottle—not one will be lost. For they are all recorded in your book of remembrance.” So, whether that tear fell while you were alone with God, or it fell while you were at altar call on a packed-out Sunday morning, know that it fell into His bottle. Isn’t it so comforting to know that in our darkest hours, God is right there, wiping our tears with His gentle hand? And remembering each one of them?
My sweet friends, the tunnel is indeed dark. But it cannot withstand Jesus’ light. Our ideas of what can and can’t happen, our numbness, that lie that we’re invisible to God—none of those can withstand that light, either. Hang on tight. Have faith. His deliverance is coming.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Katie Pennington is a writer and editor who is originally from Hazard, Kentucky, but currently resides with her family in central Tennessee (though she frequently visits her Appalachian roots). Her favorite Bible verse is Psalm 42:5, which reminds her that in despair, there’s hope in God, and there’s healing in praising Him.