On the path of God there is always an ascent after a descent. A valley is always followed by a mountain. As the Psalmist says, “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psalm 126:5), and again, “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). The God who leads you into the dark places for whatever reason (in Jeremiah’s time it was for the discipline of the people) will lead you out into the light. If you find yourself in the depths of a dark place of hardship, suffering or grief then you can be sure, if you have hold of God’s hand, that the path will lead uphill from here. It may not go uphill right away and it may only be a very slow incline but you will at some point be walking on a higher place. God wants you to live in blessing and joy but sometimes we lack the willingness to trust him enough to live in that place of blessing. This is not always why we suffer hardship and grief but sometimes it is. At least this was the case with Judah at the time of Jeremiah. God was going to lead them into a dark place, but it would be here that they would rediscover the light. It would be here that the seeds of their restoration would be planted. If God is leading you then there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Ask God to take hold of you and lead you.
Read Jeremiah 33
