The darkest hour in simple terms means the hardest most difficult worst part of your life.
Have you ever gone through a dark time? A time so painful that you couldn’t see light at the end of the tunnel? You know it must be there because people have told you….but in your darkest hour you just can’t see it for yourself. The pain of whatever brought you to the darkest hour is too much to bare and sometimes it might even seem hard to simply take a breath.
Have you ever thought about the Lord’s darkest hour when He was here on earth?
I have….
Our Saviors darkest hour began at the last supper when He predicted His death and tried to explain to the disciples that His time has now come to depart from this earth to go back to His father in Heaven.
When we take communion…. we should NOT take it lightly but it is to be taken with love and gratitude in remembrance of what Christ did for us.
We should self examine and make completely sure that our hearts are right with God. Making sure that you are a true follower of Jesus Christ.
Don’t be guilty of being found sitting there before communion thinking about your own selfish agenda.
In other words be like Peter, James and John. They weren’t perfect but they were true followers of Christ with a heart to show it….. and certainly don’t be like Judas!!! Judas walked with Christ and heard His teachings. He was one of His closest disciples but somewhere along the way….Judas became selfish and wanted riches for himself over what Christ had for him. He sat at the same table as the other eleven apostles during the last supper…. ate the same bread and drank the same juice as the other but his heart couldn’t have been further from The Lord and Jesus knew it. When a persons heart isn’t genuine then it can be sensed and felt by other believers….it can certainly be sensed by Christ who knows ALL things and the depths of our hearts.
So if you’re heart isn’t completely right before God….in other words if you aren’t truly saved…a born again believer… then let the communion pass by you so that you aren’t like Judas and condemning yourself.
The hour only grew more dark…..
I think about when Jesus was in the garden praying and knowing He was about to be very cruelly crucified. He was under so much stress that His own blood was coming through His pores.
The Bible says that He was in so much agony but yet He prayed even more fervently until His sweat became large drops of blood as it fell to the ground.
LUKE 22:44
The burden that Jesus carried was so great. He even admits that His heart continued to be full of sorrow. He admitted this to His friends Peter, James and John….even admitting that He not only was full of sorrow but that the burden was heavy and felt like death. He asked His friends to pray for Him then He went on to pray alone and asked God if this would be able to pass by Him….basically saying Lord, do I really need to go through this? Then replying back to the Lord… not my will but Your will. Then He came back from praying and found His friends sleeping.
(So you can ask yourself which person you’ve been? Have you been like Jesus and having great sorrow and needed someone to pray with you over a situation or have you been the friend that someone relied on to pray but in the busyness of your day or just a lack of compassion or neglect for concern…did you forget to pray for your friend that needed you that hour?)
OUCH!!! I felt the toes getting stepped on there…that’s why I wore my steal toed shoes to write this.
Now what about the darkest hour when Christ was on the cross?
Where Jesus had been publicly rejected, beaten, bruised, spit on, scourged, stripped, had a crown of thorns shoved onto His head and carried a 200 plus pound cross up a hill
Only to be crucified. The Bible explains that it was in the middle of the day which would be when the sun is the brightest….but on this day….it suddenly went from bright sunlight to pure darkness that continued for three hours. The darkness continued as Christ suffered His darkest hour on the cross… experiencing the worst circumstances anyone has ever been through. Pure darkness continued for three hours. A darkness so thick that it paralyzed people and nobody moved. The Lords darkest hour continued to the point He cried out to God and asked why had He forsaken Him….and the darkest hour on the cross continued until Jesus spoke the words “into thy hand I commend my spirit”
LUKE 23:46
And then Jesus died.
At the very moment of His death the enormous 45-60 foot temple veil was torn from top to bottom…clearly indicating that the tear was not from man but by God Himself.
The gigantic 45 to 60 foot veil that separated the holy from the most holy. Showing Jesus is the high priest and His death provided atonement for us the moment He freely gave His life for our sins.
The significance of the veil being torn shows so much more than what could possibly ever be explained. It gives us a picture in our minds that God has torn down the barrier between Himself and us through the perfected work of Christ.
In our darkest hour on earth the pain at times might seem so thick and paralyzing and we might feel abandoned by family, friends or religious leaders. It’s in those times of suffering that we should never forget that God is ALWAYS near to the broken hearted.
PSALM 34:18
He doesn’t leave us or forsake us.
He knows the depths of your pain and sorrow and tells us that even when we pass through troubled waters…He will be with us.
He even goes further to tell us that when we pass through fire we will not be burned.
ISAIAH 43:2
It only feels like you’re going through hell in that darkest hour but because God is with you then He is the light to expose any darkness and He will allow us to overcome and we will be victorious in Him.
The Lord reminds us that when we walk through times of darkness that He is our strong tower and we can run to Him for safety.
PROVERBS 18:10
Remember that whatever life holds….as dark as the moment seems….God goes before us making crooked paths straight.
ISAIAH 45:2
In your darkest hour have peace to know that you aren’t facing it alone but glory in the fact that Jesus is holding you up and giving you strength and courage to fight this battle….whatever your battle is. If you seek the Lord then He will give you the clarity of mind you need and He will tear down any confusion that clouds your mind and He will break any stronghold that has you bound….simply call on Him and mean it with your whole heart. There might be weeping for a night….but joy comes in the morning.
PSALM 30:5
And remember that Gods mercy is new every single morning and His faithfulness is steadfast.
LAMENTATIONS 3:23
Lastly remember…. a persons darkest hour can bring God’s greatest victory in your life….so long as you approach God with a humble heart.
Let Him turn your trial into a testimony that will glorify God for all eternity.
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