For Dark Hours

God lives and works today. If you are going through a time of darkness and discouragement, and you don't know where to turn for help, listen to today's meditation by Basilea Schlink. In it, we will be hearing how we can find the answer to our problems and a perfect weapon against our thoughts of depression.

Why doesn't God help me? Has he forsaken me forever? My prayers seem to bounce off the walls. What can I do? Once, when I was in one of these situations, someone sent me a picture postcard of a 15th century painting of John the Baptist. He was standing in a deep ravine.

On either side, there were steep cliffs. It looked almost uncanny. Next to him, there was a hissing snake rising in the air.

John the Baptist did not see the peaceful scene behind him of a steak and a doe grazing on a green meadow, nor did he see the three angels coming down to him from heaven. He only had the cliffs and the dangerous snake in sight. However, the painter had placed a powerful weapon in his hands.

John the Baptist was holding the Word of God, the Bible. His eyes were fixed only on this, and not on the snake, the cliffs, or the abyss. But I don't quite understand what this 15th century picture has to do with me, with my despair and my hopeless situation.

Did it really help you? Yes, it really did. I'd been so discouraged and couldn't see any way out. But as I looked at this picture for a while, I suddenly realized, I too have to take this powerful weapon, the Word of God.

When I hold on to His Word, then Satan has to flee. I went back to my room, knelt down, and said aloud, My God and Father, Your Word says, and You do not lie, that You will not give my soul up to death. You will show me the way to life.

In You is the fullness of joy. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart forever.

When I read these Bible verses out loud, my heart suddenly overflowed with joy. The darkness yielded. Since this time I know, and dark stretches come again and again for each one of us.

Jesus is waiting now for me to trust Him, for me to hurl Bible verses at Satan, fighting him with the weapon of the Word of God. For God keeps His Word, and He will fulfill His promises in our lives. God's promises come true.

Whatever He says, He'll do. My heart no doubt can hold about what He has taught. His help He may delay on dark or dreary way, but then He will impart faith to my fearful heart.

So I from day to day in love and trust will pray, and in my heart perceive one day I will receive all I believed. You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website, www.canaan.org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N dot org.

If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet. If you do not have access to the Web, please contact this radio station for our postal address. God bless you.