When things are going well, we feel that all is possible, and our trust and faith in God comes naturally. There is no stopping what we can accomplish.
The test is when things aren’t going well. These are the times when our trust and faith can be shaken. Negative thoughts can fill our minds and cause us to ask, “Will God come through for me?” Or when we lose control in our lives, our faith is tested. Even worse, when everyone around has given up on us, we can question if God, too, has given up. Most of us have, at one time or another, been in this place or felt this way.
When you find yourself in this situation, and you have tried everything, trust God. There isn’t much to lose, but all to gain. This is what one man learned while he was trapped beneath the Earth’s surface without anyone around to help but only God to trust.
Bobby Spencer was a West Virginia coal miner who was hundreds of feet below the surface when the shaft he was working in collapsed. After the dust settled, Bobby knew he was trapped and alone. On the land above, miners ran mechanical devices to see if there were any survivors but found none.
After a while they gave up hope, assuming everyone had died. Bobby felt differently. He was very much alive. He decided that he would start doing what he did best. He dug and dug and dug.
With his bloodied hands, he clawed away one rock at a time. He said there was only one thing he kept repeating to himself, a Scripture verse he learned in Sunday school, “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.” He repeated this over and over again as he dug himself out.
I don’t think any of us have the faintest idea of what this coal miner must have felt knowing that he was hundreds of feet below the Earth’s surface in darkness and facing death. But we all know how it feels to be in spiritual darkness.
When we are down, God is able. Others gave up, but Bobby didn’t and neither did God. His faith and trust in Christ helped him to keep going till he saw the light that led him out of the cave. When everything fails, trust God.
What scripture verse or promise do you hold on to when you find yourself in a dark place? Please share with us.
Lord, help me to trust You and see the light.
