When the Darkness Closes In, There Is Hope

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When the Darkness Closes In, There Is Hope | FromHisPresence.com

Beloveds, this is an encouraging word I published some time ago–but the Lord told me someone needed to read it TODAY. If things look dark around you and you need hope, THIS IS FOR YOU. Much love, Jamie.

Have you been going through a season of pain, grief, loss, or sickness? Do you feel some days–maybe even today–like discouragement is overwhelming you, and you only long for it to be over?

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    If that’s you, I have an encouraging word for you today.

    I can identify with pain. I’ve been through a lot of it in my life, and I’ve told you even recently that the last few months have been one of the darkest seasons of my life. There have been times recently when I have seriously struggled with major discouragement and have had to lean on the Lord for my next breath.

    And I’ve told you things have been getting better, and they have–because the Lord has done a work in my heart to help me handle it better. But the “circumstances” have not seemed to be getting better themselves. And that has been frustrating. I’m sure you know how that feels, when you want certain things to happen and they just … aren’t.

    But yesterday, the Lord used a rabbit, of all things, to give me such a sweet bit of encouragement, and I want to share the same encouragement with you today.

    Here’s the rabbit story:

    I spent the morning working on a project I’m working on for my church, and I was working at my kitchen table. All of a sudden, the little girl on theRabbit right showed up on my back porch. She wasn’t very big–just a little adolescent bunny, and cute as cute can be. 🙂

    Well, obviously I was delighted. I love animals and birds–anything beautiful and delicate. And this little girl was just as delicate and pretty as she could be. I knew that seeing her was a gift from Papa.

    Well, a couple of hours later, I was in a hurry trying to leave the house and drive to work. I got out the door and down the road a ways, when I realized I had left my cell phone charger at home. As soon as I realized it, I heard the Lord tell me that He wanted me to turn around and go home and get it.

    Now, I was irritated about having to turn around.

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    Usually, when I am getting ready to go, the Lord tells me if I have forgotten something. I probably forgot to ask Him yesterday, but still–usually He will tell me to stop in the driveway and show me what I forgot, so I can go back inside and get it.

    But yesterday, He didn’t. He let me get all the way down the road, in a place where it was very inconvenient for me to turn around, and then told me to go back and get it. I tried to reason with Him and tell Him I could borrow someone else’s charger at my office, but He said no. He was very insistent that He wanted me to turn around and get it.

    So, grudgingly, and not a little irritated at myself and at God, I did. And when I got back to my house, guess who was sitting in my driveway?

    You guessed it. My bunny.

    And all of a sudden, revelation hit me like a two-ton truck. This is what the Lord showed me:

    My Papa allowed me to leave the house without my cell phone charger on purpose yesterday. Then He told me to turn around on purpose. Why? Because He knew that I was stressed out, and He wanted to bless me. He wanted to give me another moment of peace and tranquility and just show me His beautiful bunny one more time.

    He knew that seeing that rabbit brought a thrill to my day. It absolutely delighted my heart, because I knew Papa had sent this little creature hippity-hopping onto my back porch just to show her off to me. He knew I would love her.

    And He wasn’t worried about my getting to work at all. Instead, He just wanted me to take a minute and be a little girl with her big Papa. He wanted me to delight in His creation, and share a moment of awe with Him.

    He allowed something to happen that I thought was bad–in this case, forgetting my phone charger and having to turn around–so that He could give me something better: the blessing of a special moment with Him.

    And I realized that the dark season I have been going through has been just that.

    I am not saying that what I went through was from the Lord. It most definitely was NOT. But my Papa allowed me to go through it. Why? The only reason He would allow it at all is because He is going to use it to bring me something better. He is going to work it out for my good.

    That’s what it says in Romans 8:28:

    Start-quoteAnd we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

    All things work together for good to those who love God. ALL things.

    That means the season of pain I’ve been going through will work out for my betterment. Papa’s going to bless me because of it, and He only allowed it in my life because He needed a giant for me to kill so He could promote me.

    And I’ve endured pain and loss of things that were important to me–things that were unjustly stolen.

    But as soon as I saw that bunny in my driveway and understood what Papa was telling me, the Holy Spirit immediately brought this Scripture into my mind:

    Start-quoteAnd he said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord’” (Job 1:21).

    And suddenly I understood that the Lord would never allow anything to be taken away from me if He were not going to give me something better. He’s too good for that. He is a good, good Papa who loves us and hides us under His wing. And if I suffer loss for the sake of Christ, I am still blessed.

    The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

    There’s a song by the Newsboys (see the YouTube video below) that says this:

    Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful, where your streams of abundance flow, blessed be Your name
    And blessed be Your name when I’m found in the desert place, though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be Your name

    Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise
    When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say

    Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your name!
    Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be Your glorious name!

    And blessed be Your name when the sun’s shining down on me
    When the world’s ‘all as it should be,’ blessed be Your name

    And blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering
    Though there’s pain in the offering, blessed be Your name

    You give and take away, You give and take away!
    My heart will choose to say, “Lord blessed be Your name!”

    And I wondered: what kind of grief and loss are you enduring right now? Does it seem like the darkness is closing in on your life?

    If so, there is hope for you today. That hope is found simply in the fact that you have a good Papa who loves you. He is taking care of you right now, even if you don’t feel like He is. Even if you’re afraid, lonely, grieving, or angry, Papa is still taking care of you.

    And He would never allow anything to be taken away from you unless He is going to work it out for your good and give you something better.

    He loves you, you see. Precious one, He loves you so much. His heart beats for you every moment of every day. You are His dream, the desire of His heart. Jesus Christ gave up everything to get you.

    And no man can snatch you out of His hand. He’s got you, precious. Papa’s holding you in His hand right now.

    I don’t know what you’re enduring, but Papa knows.

    I don’t know what you’ve suffered, but I know Jesus paid the price for your comfort and healing, and He’s going to work it out for your good. I don’t know how you’re hurting, but I know the Holy Spirit is right with you. He’ll never leave you or forsake you.

    And I don’t know what you’ve lost, but I know Papa’s got something better in store for you.

    Related: Weeping May Endure for A Night, But Joy Comes In the Morning!

    The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away–not to allow your life to be plundered, but to replace those things with something better. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

    Beloved, there is hope for you. This season of grief and pain you’re in is not going to last forever. Papa has promised to work ALL things out for your good. He is going to turn your situation around. I don’t know when or how, but I do know that you can rest safely in His arms.

    When the darkness closes in, you have hope, beloved. Your hope is HIM. Papa. HE is your hope, because He’s too faithful and too good not to turn this around for your good.

    So no matter what you’re going through today, I encourage you to trust Him. Know that you are safe right now, even in the midst of your circumstances. Trust His goodness, and bless His name.

    Does this word encourage your heart today? If so, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

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    29 Comments

    1. Thank you for this word. I know in my heart for it to be true but I don’t understand how, in my situation, this works.
      I was married for 30 years to a wonderful man and we had a good life. Suddenly, my pastor husband left And divorced me and married someone else.
      Such a long story with many details but I could use prayer.

      1. I have been praying for you, Lml. And I pray you know that Papa didn’t do that to you–that was SIN. Sin. And I’m so very sorry you have had to endure that. But I pray Papa would work it out for your good and lead you into a better situation in every way. And that He would comfort your heart today and shine His light into every darkness.
        Big hugs to you, sister. I’m so sorry for your pain, but I will continue to lift you up in prayer.

        1. Milton Mcgraw says:

          Thanks for the word it was very encouraging.

      2. God is good, and we have to remember that His ways are not our ways. I too am divorced, and I used my time of grief to grow closer to God. In time, He brought me a new husband that I adore. He is truly my soul mate, but he struggles with addiction and depression. Life is messy and we are broken people. But Jesus is perfect and beautiful. The fact that He loves us flaws and all is amazing. Our brokeness is what allows His light to shine through us. You should Google Catherine Wolf. Her story will transform how you view hardship. I can honestly say that God is good ALL of the time even though Ive endured 2 miscarriages, divorce, infidelity, addiction, financial crisis, sickness…and He’s blessed all along the way even though I get angry, whiney, self righteous. Look for tge good each day. I promise its there.

        Jamie, Jesus absolutely spoke to me this morning as I read your post. I normally dont read them in the morning, but today I did. As I drove to work, I heard the song you referenced for the first time in months. That song got me through some of my roughest days during my divorce. Two days ago, I read that word from Job. God is letting me know that He loves me and He’s still in control. My dark season is not over by He is my hope!! And He took tbe time to show me His love this morning. Thank you, Jesus!

      3. Becky Allen says:

        I too am a Christian women whose Christian husband left me for someone else after 39 years of marriage. It was a family friend who I had welcomed into my home. It was another man. I don’t even know what to pray for. I feel like I have lost everything. It is hard to see how God can restore my joy.

        1. Jesus knows what betrayal feels like. Allow Him to heal your heart. We either get better or we get bitter. I once read an article by Lance Armatrong’s wife. She said unforgiveness is like swallowing poison but expecting someone else to die from it. I didnt want to allow my betrayal and divorce to define my life. Try to release the pain for your own benefit. Besides God cannot place a new gift in your hand if you are clutching the old one.

    2. This is my testimony right now: HS finds and brings back what belongs to you. You do not have to fight for anything…fierce love…Live ur highest values in the midst of conflict…blinders… we’re training for reigning….lastly 7x’s the laughter in the secret place for the sorrow :)))) joyful when ur persecuted for righteousness sake…I love my life, my family, and friends and even my enemies!!!
      Ok really the last thing, it stormed last night, I slept thru it :))).. He showed me how the storm was even comforting me by rocking the boat.

      1. Very cool. One of my favorite preachers, Bill Johnson of Bethel Church (Redding, CA), says, “You can only have authority over the storm you can sleep through.” #Preeeeeach! 🙂

    3. Hi Jamie,

      This is such an on time word. I was feeling so overwhelmed today. Truly struggling, when the Lord specifically told me to go read your blog today. Thank you for this word, which has blessed me more than I can say. You are indeed an anointed warrior of God continue to allow him to use you to be a blessing. My prayer is that God would bless, favor, and prosper you all the days of your life.

      1. Wincilla, I’m sorry you’ve been struggling. I prayed for you as soon as I received your comment notice. I pray Papa would brighten your day in special ways today as only He can, and that He would lighten your load and give you rest. That you would hide under the shadow of His wings today, and feel the safety, warmth, and security of His presence. In Jesus’ name. ((((Hugs!!!))))

    4. This was an awesome reminder for me. We are waiting for God to change our circumstances. Have been for many years. Praying and seeking and hoping and waiting. He has shaped us and grown us, but just when we feel like we are close to seeing the end, things fall flat again. We are tired. But yesterday, as I walked our children to school, we had a flock of about 100 rainbow lorikeets (we live in Australia) fly over us! We had never seen so many! A hundred rainbows reminding me He will keep His promises to us. So I love the story about your bunny. God is good. 🙂

      1. He is sooo good. I love your story! I love birds, so that would have spoken to me too. Yes, the rainbow is the sign of God’s covenant. His covenant He will keep, and His oath He will not break! I pray that you would see your breakthrough soon, and that He would comfort you and show you how He is working even before everything is turned around.

    5. CarolAnn Adams says:

      When I saw the title of this I knew I was one of I am sure many it was meant for.
      I wrote you not long ago about this time of darkness I and my family has been going through.
      A good thing is that in the past two days of craziness and pain I did not lose it and react badly. Today I talked to the Lord. I could not handle reading much and just needed to rest and watch a stupid funny movie.
      After waking up from a good nap I feel rested. I
      Over the years I have learned not to say ‘can this get any worse?’ because then it does. My mind was real close to that thought but did not get into it.
      Speaking of taking things away. A couple weeks ago I left Facebook. It was not a good thing for me in many ways. Sometimes I miss it but God wanted me to close it down.
      I know it is for good and there are other ways I can spend that time. Reading this I am encouraged that He will give me something better.
      I did open an account under my cat’s name just so I can chat with my adult kids. My daughter is in India and it is the best way to keep in touch. I only see some of their postings and that is it. I told a few friends what I did so they know what happened.
      I pray that God will strengthen me in these trials and like you I know that they are not from HIm.`
      I have a collection of Bibles and recently turned to an old one where I have certain Psalms marked to help me through hard times. Psalm 34 had been a comfort to me especially verse 18 and 19
      ‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
      A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all’
      Maybe those verses will bring comfort to someone else. Thank you for sharing that song from the Newsboys. I have not heard it for a long time.
      A song that helps me in times like this is when Don Moen sings ‘Hiding Place.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T–ahOB9WIk
      Than you for being obedient to Father God and sharing such personal experiences with Him to help others.

      1. CarolAnn, I’m so sorry you’ve been going through such a tough time. I love that Scripture. He is the Man of Sorrows, so He and He alone can really know at a deep level what you are going through. I pray He would manifest Himself to you today; that you would feel His nearness and His heart toward you, and that He would help you to cast these burdens at His feet and that He would give you rest. I pray you would feel His love and the warmth of His embrace today, and that His touch would ease your cares. Blessings and big hugs to you! Thank you for reading. 🙂

    6. Thank you for this! Perfect timing in this season of life for me when I’ve been feeling like we gave up everything only to receive hardship after hardship and maybe God only just takes. That song actually used to cause a bit of fear in me because I felt like it meant I needed to be afraid of God taking,not understanding He always replaces with something better. Right now we just aren’t seeing it happen but choosing to trust.

      1. I’m sorry you haven’t seen those promises fulfilled yet, Jennifer–but I still want to encourage you! It could all change in a moment’s time, just like God did for Esther. But whatever the timing, our Papa is faithful! He watches over His Word to perform it in your life as long as you meet His conditions of obeying Him. I pray that He would encourage and strengthen your heart today, and send you a “sticky note” showing you visible evidence that He’s working on your behalf even now, as you wait. 🙂 In Jesus’ name!

    7. You said at the beginning of this post that you knew someone needed to hear this today- I am that person. It sounds crazy but today I specifically asked God to speak to me through your blog. I am currently going through a divorce that I don’t want. God has called to stand in the gap for my marriage restoration and my husband’s salvation. This has definitely been the darkest time of my life, but our Heavenly Father is so good. This really showed me that He hears all of our prayers, and He is working even when we don’t see anything. Thank you so much for this.

    8. Hello Jamie this was right on for me. Me and my husband are having difficulties in our marriage. We seem to be disagreging in the spiritual realm of our lives. I seem not to trust in him because as a child I could not trust in my father. Not having a loving father while I was growing up I seem to see God as a vindictive God not a loving God. I have struggled with this all of my life. I have head knowledge that God love me It seem it has not made it to my heart. From my mother I got put down and verbal abuse so I seem to see God in the same way. I served in the occult does God forgive you for that too. I have struggled with this too. I finally told you. It seemed to free me. Have a blessed day.

    9. We have to learn to be encourage and encourage others in the midst of our storms but glory to God when we come through alluehia praise God in the midst He will never leave us nor forsake us be blessed

    10. Pauline Borgan says:

      Thank you so much for the words to give us HOPE. I know in my spirit that God has not forsaken us but the battle with the enemy wears me out. This has refreshed my spirit and encouraged me to not give up HOPE for God has a plan. My trust is in the Lord. I continue to claim Ephesians 3;20. Thank you Jamie for blessing us all. Praying for answered prayers for all.

    11. Christine says:

      I soooo love today’s word. Even when things just seem to go from worse to worse I lean on you papa God. Please Jamie pray for me as even feeding my family is becoming a difficult task. Papa I need a financial breakthrough pleeease.

    12. Thank you for re-posting a most timely message.
      Many years ago I was given a prophecy by Dick Mills, which he wrote across the palm of my hand in red ink.(Joel 2;25) that God would restore unto me all the cankerworm and the palmerworm had eaten. This was back in the late ’70’s .
      It seems that the cankerworm and the palmerworm have not stopped eating and the circumstances have actually gotten worse. 2016 was a challenging year in that for the first time in my life , I ended up in the hospital, had to quit my pt job and my car died .
      I am having a hard time forgiving my son, as he is still taking from me by refusing to pay rent .
      Not having a car ? is like having my legs cut off at the knees .
      Thanks for sharing and praying

    13. I love reading the posts from others . It would be nice to connect with some of them and set up a prayer chain
      How could that be done ?

      1. sibonginkosi says:

        Hi Michelle
        I think as soon as you come across someone in need of prayer, just pray.
        God will do the rest and you will be blessed for it!!

    14. Carol Britt says:

      Thank you, Jamie. That was a powerful word for me. I have lost much in the past, including my husband to death. I saw no hope for the future and no joy. Your words have given me hope. Bless you!

    15. Cliff Schaeffer says:

      Yes this did encourage me today, Thank you!

    16. Mapitso Mosito says:

      Jamie , this words are for me. I am a single mother raised three children being alone (Jesus of Nazareth )besides me.I sometimes ask myself why am I living this life of not having someone who can love me like other woman who are married. Jamie I suffered a lot. Till now I don’t have peace in my heart. I cry everyday asking myself that am I praying the right prayer to God. I am suffering spiritual and financially. I live the life of begging I cannot sleep at night. Jamie can u please pray for me to grow spiritually. I believe that if I can be strong in the spirit this dark moment will go away. I suffered a lot. Thank u for this encouraging words. I am willing to help in yr ministry financially but I can’t because of financial problem. I am not working.

    17. Your words encouragement lifted me Up. Really .. God is so Good.. I have been giving up a spiritual life for my work.. My life is all work .. work. .work.. and had eaten up my strength. I just cannot give up my work because I have so many obligations to take care .. Though . .I pray to Papa God to take care of me as I take care of my family.. I missed going to Church.. I feel really guilty.. Timely, I opened up your blog.. This helped me loosen a lot. My friends please help me to to pray to Papa God.. to lighten me load. . and to give me time to Adore him.. I need your prayers..

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