The Deserts And The Dark Valleys Are Temporary

If you haven't been through a dark time lately, you're about to! Though we dread the idea of it, we still can't forget the innermost joyous celebration we got to taste the last time we made it through one of those challenging times. Both the amount and the intensity of our praises were off the charts. Our faces shone, our irises were brightly colored, and our pupils were as tiny as a pinhead; the same way Moses' countenance appeared when he came down from the Mount Sinai. Exodus 34:29, "When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he had the two tablets in his hand, and he did not know that the skin of his face was ablaze with light because he had been speaking with God."

Our goal ought to be to experience as many difficulties as possible in order to be more like Jesus Christ; praying that we will draw nearer to God during each episode. That's the only way we will be able to shed our worldly hang-ups and be fitted for our eternal existence in heaven. We cannot throw them away on our own. We can only pray that God, through his grace and mercy, will purge them away and wash us clean with the blood of our Saviour. Leviticus 17:11, "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life." Hebrews 9:22, "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:14, "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"

So the idea of purifying us with the blood of Jesus is not all about cleansing our consciences just so we can enjoy the rest of the journey. It is mainly to help us start fresh and new, and become as willing vessels of the body of Christ. Our gratefulness would be so great that we make ourselves available for God's works; whether it be spreading the Gospel News through preaching it or delivering meals to the needy. Once we are made clean at the Cross of our Saviour, God will design our path and use us any which way He sees fit. The level of safety and satisfaction we get from our new position in life cannot be measured with money or certificates. It's above and beyond our understanding.

Blessings...