Welcome to Sophie's Nature Art!

In my early twenties, when I was still young in faith, I attended many youth conventions at my church. They were always special weekends. At my first „Youth in Mission Congress“ in 2010, I decided to be baptized. Since that congress, I have also had the desire to attend a mission school. Such congresses are places where you make small and big decisions. The speeches are motivating. You get hope that you can overcome your favorite sins and that you can become a new person. I often went home excited and certain that something had changed in my life. My faith was strengthened and I was more connected to Jesus than ever.

But it never took long for the daily grind to return. Quicker than you would have liked, you found yourself in the same hamster wheel and back to the old sins that you had actually left behind at the congress. These experiences discouraged me. I was frustrated. I had an intense time with God at the congress. I learned so much about Him, met enthusiastic young people my age, prayed with them for change in our lives, made decisions to get even more serious with God and heard speeches that told me I would go home changed from this congress. These conventions were spiritual refueling stations for me. But when I realized that not much had changed at home, I was only drawn further down.

It is often like that in life: a (spiritual) high point is followed by an even deeper low. Incidentally, I had the same experience after my baptism. In my case, it led me to stop going to such youth conferences because I didn't want to experience any more spiritual rollercoaster rides.

Spiritual highlights

Like me and perhaps one or two other readers, it was the same for the hiker. As we read in the last article, he had experienced a spiritual highlight. First he had been to the source of life, then he walked with Jesus across the sea of sorrows and then spent a whole day in intense fellowship with Jesus. These were many powerful experiences within a very short space of time. The hiker spent many wonderful hours under the beautifully blossoming cherry trees in intensive conversation with Jesus. His heart was strengthened, encouraged and ready for the rest of the journey. He was overjoyed. The fellowship with Jesus filled him with the deepest joy he had ever experienced in his life.

The journey continues

But now the time had come for the hiker to continue his walk along the narrow path. The path on which the hiker is now walking is bright. It is bordered by lush green meadows with colorful flowers. In the distance, he hears the sound of a mighty waterfall. The water makes the air pleasant and the path is easy to walk.

Suddenly, the path seems to end abruptly. The hiker stands in front of a huge rock face. When he takes a closer look, he sees a gap in the rock face that reaches down to the ground. He remembers that Jesus had told him about the gorge of spiritual darkness. This had to be it! There is a plaque on the rock face that reads: „Your word is the lamp of my feet!“. As the hiker reads this inscription, he remembers the lamp that Jesus had given him. He takes it out and lights it up. He carefully shines it into the dark gorge. The path actually led through the rock face. The hiker bravely takes a step into the gorge. Suddenly he is surrounded by absolute darkness. Damp, cold air hits him. His clothes immediately feel clammy. He begins to shiver. The sound of the waterfall can no longer be heard. There is absolute silence. Except for the occasional soft „splash“ when a drop falls from the dripping wet walls onto the floor.

Through the ravine of spiritual darkness

The path is slippery and goes steeply uphill. The path is very narrow. Despite the lamp, the hiker repeatedly bumps into the sharp rock faces. Sometimes the path is so narrow that the hiker has to squeeze between the walls. In other places, he can only crawl through.

How different everything is here! The time with Jesus under the blossoming cherry trees, where everything was bright, warm and friendly, seemed like an eternity ago. To the wanderer, it seemed like a beautiful dream. But now he was stuck in the middle of a nightmare from which he could not wake up! And he was literally stuck! The path was so narrow that it was just a tube in the wall. The hiker had to take off his luggage and push it in front of him. This was the only way he could move forward. Bit by bit, he pushed on. The sharp-edged rocks cut him in the process. Every forward movement is painful. Then there is the darkness, the silence and the damp cold. It's easy to despair in a situation like this. How much further is the path? Is there even an exit? Or are you stuck here forever? The darkness can almost make you lose your mind. What would happen if the oxygen ran out? Suffocating is not a nice way to die. Turning back and fighting your way all the way back is not an option either.

The light

But the hiker has his lamp with him. The light flickers cheerfully and illuminates the outline of the path. „Path“ was a bit too much, though. It was really just a kind of very narrow corridor. But the light helps the hiker not to give up. It reminded him of the one who had given him this light. He had prepared him for the gorge and given him a few tips. Jesus had promised him that even if the gorge seemed endless, it would still have an end. The hiker should always keep his goal in mind. He should also not think so much about his current situation. If he thought about the challenges in the gorge, he would magnify them in his mind and his courage would dwindle. Instead, he should think about the joy that lies ahead. The last experience can help him with this. He was allowed to experience a small foretaste of heaven with Jesus. How much more glorious it would be when he finally reached his destination. Under no circumstances was he allowed to turn his thoughts around himself. But that is exactly what the adversary tries to do. He shows the hiker his weaknesses. He shows how often he had already failed and that he would now disappoint Jesus again. He directs his thoughts to all the wounds the hiker has suffered in the ravine. Suddenly he feels the pain all over his body. He feels his strength dwindling. Add to that the cramped conditions and the oppressive darkness. Would he even get out of here alive? Panic spreads through the wanderer like a fog. But he looks at the lamp. It is still shining just as brightly as it was at the entrance to the gorge. Yes, even more so! The hiker thinks it shines even brighter than before! The darker it is, the brighter the light shines.

Faith wins the day!

This light is a reminder of the one who gave it to him. He promised to be with him and to give him the strength he needed. Strength was now exactly what the wanderer needed! So he prays to God and claims his promises in faith. After thanking God for answering his prayers, the wanderer continues on his arduous journey. The more he struggles forward, the more new strength flows through him.

After a few meters, the hiker notices that the path becomes increasingly wider again. He no longer has to crawl on his stomach, but can make progress on all fours. At some point, the path becomes so wide that he can walk bent over. Finally, he can stand up again. Now the hiker also notices that a pleasantly warm breeze is coming towards him. And isn't there even a glimmer of light up ahead? The last section of the gorge is another steep climb. But the hiker doesn't care. He just wants to get out of this darkness! New energy flows through him. The hiker climbs up the steep path quickly but carefully. Sometimes he slips on the wet rocks. But he always manages to catch himself again. And suddenly he is out in the open! Warm rays of sunshine greet him. He hears the cheerful chirping of birds and feels a gentle breeze caressing his face. He has made it! Thanks to the lamp, he had found his way out of the ravine of spiritual darkness safe and sound, apart from a few scratches and scrapes! The hiker praises and thanks God for this wonderful lamp that He had provided for him!

The application

The wanderer was able to overcome the spiritual darkness because he focused on the light. Even when he could no longer see Jesus and everything seemed to be against his faith, he kept his eyes on the goal. This helped him not to be discouraged, but to defeat the darkness.

In the same way, we can be victorious in discouraging situations. Sometimes it seems as if God has withdrawn from us. Everything seems to be going wrong, as if we have been robbed of God's blessing. But God has given us light so that we can remain faithful in every situation. This light is his word, the Bible. In it we find many stories of people who had similar problems to us. We can learn from their failures and their victories. The Bible also contains many encouraging promises, but also admonitions that seek to correct us and thus help us to stay on the right path. .

We just have to use it. It's no good if the Bible sits decoratively in a cupboard, it needs to be read. But it is also no use reading the Bible and theoretically understanding what God wants to tell me.

The Bible must be integrated into practical life! This is where many fail. We know that God tells us: „Fear not! I am with you!“ (Isaiah 41:10). But do we believe that this is really true? Do we believe that Jesus is with me at this moment and is ready to help me with my problem here and now? Do we believe that he CAN and WILL help ME? Can I really leave my worries and problems with Jesus in prayer or do I take them back with me after the „Amen“?

We can talk about all this in theory, but do we actually put it into practice?
I invite you, dear reader, to take your lamp and use it! Don't just study the instructions on how to use it, but put it into practice! I guarantee you, then a light will dawn on you and the darkness that Satan constantly weaves around us will no longer have any power!

After all the challenges, the next step is the well-deserved Sabbath rest!