Things will get better,God Will turn things around!
John the Baptist was languishing in prison and questioning his faith. He may well have wondered some of the same things that may have crossed your mind, such as: Is Jesus the Messiah? Is His word true? Have I believed and labored in vain for my Master? Is this dark place my final reward for answering God’s call? Will I ever really get out of my prison cell of bad circumstances? Perhaps additional questions make their way through your mind such as: Where is God while I am going through all of this and will He really help me? Will I be alright? Can I trust the Bible? Will I be raised from the dead? Does Heaven really lie ahead? Is all that I believe about God’s promises a cruel illusion or is the devil playing cruel tricks on me again? You may also wonder if it is ever really going to get any better for you, or if you’re going to be forever stuck at the mercy of the devil’s power, the devil’s schemes and gimmicks.
Part of the way the devil loves to make you depressed and angry is, he loves to flaunt the success and rewards of those who serve him in front of you repeatedly while you stay stuck and unable to make it and locked in what seems to be an eternal jail cell that the warden holds but has thrown away the key! The devil loves to parade in front of you those he’s promoted and lavished with good gifts and unfair advantages, but fret not, dear child of God, your due season is coming and God is not intending for the gates of hell that seems to have been unleashed in your life to prevail against you and over you much longer. The devil’s power in your life is being weakened day by day, the closer you get to God, the further you get away from the devil and his power. God has an expected end to repay the devil for all that he has caused in your life and your family’s life. (See Psalm 37:13)
Most of us ask questions like these from time to time, most of us question just when or if we will ever get out of the pit of hell that holds us hostage. These questions may be especially on your mind on those dark days when circumstances bring sorrow and bitter disappointment, when it seems there’s no storybook ending to your life, and the pages of your book of life can’t turn because you’re stuck and can’t get it to work no matter what. These questionings are not failures of faith but tests of faith and can be answered in John the Baptist’s way: “You must take your doubts to Jesus. In His time and in His own wise way He will restore the confidence your heart desires and make clear the answers to your questions”.
Jesus didn’t abandon John to his doubts. He sent word of the miracles He performed and the hope He preached – Matt. 11:4-6. As George MacDonald said of God’s faithfulness: “Never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light”. Doubts will come, and life will seem like it is unfair, and even though doubt will try to occupy a lot of space in your mind, never allow it to cast doubt on God. For God is good and He is not a man that He should lie. In due season He will ease your doubts and shine forth His light and make all things work together for your good. He will not allow the gates of hell to prevail in your life, so don’t worry. The entrance of God’s light will shine so that your doubts can dissipate and the prison cell to your bad circumstances will swing open. You may be tired of going through it, but if you’ll seek God for an infusion of His power and strength, He’ll be happy to supply you with the strength that you lack, for He has said in His word, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in your weakness”- 2 Corinthians 12:9