Doubt in the Dungeon
ARE YOU THE COMING ONE, OR DO WE LOOK FOR ANOTHER? [Mtt.11:3]
Despair is a normal course of spiritual development in true servants of God. It is no sin; but rather it is a feature of our mortal limitations. People who claim to have smooth sailing through the storms of life from the outset of their conversion, are practicing a faith which does not have Jesus as its Author and Finisher [Heb.12:2]. Theirs is a vain religion that shuns the suffering of the cross.
As long as we are in this world, afflictions that threaten to overwhelm the soul are inevitable [Ps.34:19]. Catalogued in the Scriptures are examples of true men of God who passed through dark tunnels of discouragement, wastelands of spiritual droughts, and seeming abandonment from a heaven that appeared to be brass.
Moses, the prophet who knew God face to face, cried in desperation, I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now— Num.11:14-15.
Elijah, distinguished servant of the Lord who called down fire from heaven, lost sight of hope and exclaimed, It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!—1Kgs.19:4.
Gripped by the powers of despondency, Job lamented, May the day perish on which I was born, and the night in which it was said “A male child is conceived”—Job.3:3. David in sorrow of heart burst forth in his anguish, Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?—Ps.42:11
Note Jeremiah, that faithful prophet of the Lord, crying unto the Lord in despair of spirit; Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, as waters that fail?—Jer.15:18. Even the outstanding apostle, Paul, groaned, We despaired even of life—2 Cor.1:8.
The Lord Jesus Himself, beneath a crushing weight of sorrow, earnestly prayed, O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will—Mtt.26:39.
Thus do the Scriptures testify that great men of God had their times of despair, the Son of God inclusive. The Baptist followed suit. How often we are plunged into the gloom of despondency following times of success and public approval!
John, having shone brilliantly and performed his God-given task with fidelity, now lay crushed in spirit within the bowels of Herod’s dungeon. Conflicting thoughts coursed through his distraught mind, each clamoring for explanation. Surrounded by silence, darkness and hostility, the Baptist was unable to sort through his confusion.
He who announced the Christ of God [Jn.1:29], and witnessed the testimony of the Father and the Spirit concerning His blessed Son [Mtt.3:16-17], now sent messengers to that same Christ he had introduced saying, Are you the coming One or do we look for another?—Mtt.11:3.
Everyone expected that the Christ, when He came, would restore the earthly kingdom to Israel in triumph over its oppressors. This may well have been in John’s thoughts. That the Savior he heralded could not come to the dungeon and free him from the grip of Herod, defied John’s reasoning.
Beloved reader, you have scanned through your life and found no fault deserving of punishment. On the contrary, you have been stalwart and true in your commitment to the Lord. Your life until now has been a glowing testimony of faithfulness and fervent devotion to Christ. Yet scores of disappointments pursue you relentlessly. Like a powerful magnet, your life continues to attract filings of sorrow upon sorrow; you are hardly done with one trouble before another rears its ugly head. Faint not! Your Father loves you. Jesus Christ your Lord trod this same path and so did all the prophets who were before you. You are on the right track.
The cloud of witnesses is cheering you on. Listen to the assurance of God’s Spirit, “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; I will surely help you.” The Lord has spoken. He has committed Himself to you in an irrevocable covenant of love. No man can undo His mercy towards you; no spirit can revoke His commitment. If Christ is for you, who can be against you? Oh! Divine comfort! Wonderful promises! Gracious thoughts! O despairing pilgrim, if only you knew the outcome of your Lord’s appointed course, you would leap into realms of boundless joy. Though you do not discern His intentions you can safely trust in His heart of love to bring you to a marvelous end. Will you not then rejoice? Let us be patient and await His salvation, and He will surely subdue your sorrows to accomplish eternal purposes of mercy.
But that way out may not be what we expect. Christ neither visited nor rescued the Baptist from the cell, but rather simply sent His word. The truth is, in all of this world’s afflictions, God’s word is the only sufficient comfort to console the downcast. Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them—Lk.7:22.
John, behind the bars of Herod’s prison, deeply pondered the response of Jesus. He understood the content of the message and was consoled with God’s will for him. The messengers sent by John observed that as the multitudes thronged to Christ with various ailments, some were healed, others were not, and the method of healing differed with each individual. The sovereign design of the Christ of God determined who received healing and by what means it was conveyed. Thus John understood, that though the Son of God may not visit him in the bleakness of his imprisonment, He yet would deliver him in His own way and in His own appointed time. In John’s case, it was through the bestial cruelty of Herod’s sword that the Baptist was released by Christ’s tender mercies into realms of eternal day.
Friend, we are to rejoice in Christ, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God— 2Cor.1:4. It is only in the word of God that you can find a soothing balm for your aching soul. Friends will desert you, parents will abandon you, brothers will supplant, neighbors will malign and foes will increase. Despair not! Feeble shelters of human sympathy and support are a vain refuge to alleviate sorrow’s disillusionment. Instead, come and consult with David in the Psalms, seek counsel with Job in his trials, glean encouragement from Jeremiah’s rich field of Lamentations, hearken to Paul scaling the hurdles of life. Your soul will be encouraged thereby, and when you are refreshed and restored, strengthen your brethren from your wealth of experience.
Times of despair are actually sent our way from the Lord, and these are to test and strengthen our character. They afford us the opportunity to act upon our convictions when all things go contrary to our expectations, and in the process, our faith in God is being established. Do not shrink from such trials, for seasons of sorrow are actually God’s means of purging our souls unto maturity.
The Lord will never abandon His faithful servants in times of affliction and despair, though it may appear to us that He has. It seemed that way to apostles toiling alone against the raging of Galilee’s sea. He departed to the mountain to pray. He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them—Mk.6:46,48.
It was dark, and Jesus was not physically with them. The disciples wearily rowed the boat in desperate attempts to arrive safely at their desired haven. While the cold hostile winds of the night mercilessly flung threatening waves against the already exhausted disciples, the Lord was actually watching over them from the mountain’s height. He saw their feeble efforts; the terror in their eyes did not escape His notice. He observed their futile endeavors to save their lives. Yet He was in control. No swell of the storm could take the life of any disciple, while under the watchful gaze of Christ.
Dear reader, is this not the experience of all who truly seek a close walk with the Lord? They who navigate the creeks and ponds never meet with stormy seas and howling winds. It is an experience wholly reserved for those who dare to launch forth into the deep. True disciples will meet with such trying experiences as requisites to complete the syllabus of their spiritual education.
Flee not the storm. Do not be driven from your course by contrary winds. You must sail through; a passage leading to your sheltering harbor lies through the gloom. Strive on, soldier of Christ! You cannot now sink, for the whole scenario of your struggles transpires under the watchful supervision of Jesus Christ on high.
The merely curious religious enthusiasts will never traverse this tempestuous route. They crossed Galilee’s waters seeking after the Lord, but they met no storm, darkness, or opposing winds, neither was Jesus on the mountain watching over them. Instead they glided easily in the light of day and sailed smoothly on the calmness of the sea’s placid bosom [Jn.6:22].
They were elated to see the Lord as they excitedly greeted Him, Rabbi, when did You come here?— Jn.6:25. But the Son of God was not pleased to see them. Instead, He rebuked their carnal desires of pursuing the food that perishes rather than that eternal life which Christ alone can give [Jn.6:26-27].
Thus we see that hardships and disappointments are granted to those who are true servants of the Lord. It is unlikely that the multitudes will encounter such trials of faith. The seeking of ease, softness and pleasures of this life will always prevent them from passing through the deeper experiences of spiritual development.
The Scriptures, however, encourage us to offer our prayers to God and tell Him exactly how we feel in every situation. The disciples of Christ cried, Master do you not care that we are perishing? [Mk.4:38]. Did He not care? Of course, He most certainly did. Though He permitted them to struggle with the winds for a season, He was yet in the boat with them. They suffered under the strain but the Lord did not abandon them to a watery fate.
The Lord Jesus passed through a similar despairing scene. Even during the agony of the cross the Son of God Himself cried out, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?—Mtt.27:46. Did God hear Him? It is inconceivable that He did not. But His suffering was not immediately relieved and it was in the face of that suffering that the Lord Jesus glorified His Father.
Friend, does your problem yet persist though you have made known your troubles to God? Omniscience is not unaware of your plight. All things will surely work out for your good. His plans towards you are for peace. If God had answered Christ by immediately relieving Him from the suffering of the cross, you and I would have had no other option than to face God’s wrath in hell. But He did not, and Christ endured the shame of the cross only to be raised in glory for your deliverance and mine.
You too can rest in His loving arms. The molding process may be painful but the Great Potter has a design in mind for the clay though He molds it ten thousand times over. And when the developmental stages are complete, you will be awe-stricken with the outcome of infinite wisdom.
This was so with John. Even though he languished in the dungeon of despair, no word of condemnation was uttered by the Lord against John, but He rather actually commended him before the multitudes. The Lord said that up until that time, John was the greatest man to be born of women. As undisputed as this declaration was, the Lord Jesus added this startling statement: Whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John [Mt.11:11]. Believers in the Lord Jesus exceed John because we live in the realities of all that Christ came to proclaim. Through the Spirit of God in us, we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus [Eph.1:3]; blessings that John had not enjoyed.
But if in fact we are greater than John, what is the practical evidence of that? Documented in the Scriptures are John’s fervent devotion, zeal, faithfulness, humility, etc. What will be recorded of you and me? What will Christ say of you in the times of your despair? Can the Son of God truly commend us before His Father? We do well if we do not give up, for the Lord is in control of every situation that comes our way. May we ever seek to glorify God, though trials buffet and threaten to undo us. With all humility let us make our pains and troubles known to Him, and in due time we shall be exalted [1Pt.5:6].
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