Down But Not Out!

The story is told of Mark Twain taking a long train trip but he didn’t want to carry his briefcase with him. So, he asked a baggage  handler if he thought the briefcase was strong enough to be checked and placed in the baggage compartment. The baggage handler shrugged, took the briefcase, and promptly threw it to the pavement. “That, sir, is what she’ll get in Philadelphia.” Then he picked it up and struck it five or six times against the side of the train car and said, “That’s what she’ll get in Chicago.” Finally, he threw the briefcase down and began to stomp on it until the author’s books and paper spilled out, and said, “That’s what she’ll get in Sioux City.” As Twain looked on in disbelief, the man nodded at his now mangled briefcase and said, “If you’re going any farther than Sioux City, I’d suggest you carry it on yourself.”

Have you ever felt like Mark Twain’s briefcase—mangled, beaten, tossed about? Sometimes we can probably identify with the Apostle Paul when he said, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed.” Paul was truly a living example of one who suffered terrible circumstances, but was incredibly upbeat about it.

Most people who are faced with such difficulties in life would rather pack it in than to stick with their course. But Paul said that in spite of his hardships, he was “not crushed, not driven to despair, not forsaken, not destroyed.” What a positive attitude! What was it about Paul that kept him from giving up in the face of his constant trials? How did he have such a great mental attitude in the face of such overwhelming opposition?

Here is his answer. Paul says, “It is God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.”

The point that Paul is making here, is that no matter how dark your circumstances may seem, God is there to provide enough light for you to take another step in the right direction. That is what Hope is all about. Hopelessness is sitting in the dark feeling sorry for yourself. Hope is looking for the light of God in the midst of your darkness and finding a way to move on to better days.

God has promised to be with you always. God is with you when you celebrate the joys of life. God is with you to give you hope when you feel like Mark Twain’s Suitcase. Look for the light of God and believe in God’s promise. There you will find strength to face the hard times and hope for a better day to come.

How has God helped you through dark times?

Tim Hobbs, Pastor