I'm in a Bad Place.

I love talking to people.  

Sometimes when I’m in the middle of an intimate conversation, I will hear things like:  

I was in a bad place.  

I know what they mean.  

They mean they were hurting, usually emotionally.  

When I hear this, my heart aches for them.  

Most of us can relate to the dark, lonely, sad places.  

Every one of us at one time or another, has stumbled into a dark spot in our lives.  

We feel alone and hopeless.  

Remember and remind yourself as I do that I am not alone.  

Jonah was in a whale.  

How much worse can your life get than being in the belly of a whale?  

Friends, that is a  bad place.  

Daniel was in a lion’s den facing a pack of hungry lions.  

That is a dangerous place.  

Elijah was on a mountain hiding in a cave.  

Guys, he was in a bad situation. 

David in Psalms 147 says, “The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground;” 

I could go on and tell of Peter in prison 

and Paul in the sea for a night and a day, 

but you get the idea. 

These were people God used, 

but they came into a bad place.  

My Friends, maybe you feel like you are a dark place spiritually?  

Emotionally?  

Be encouraged.  

God knows about dark and bad places.  

In fact, when Jonah called to God from inside the whale, 

“The Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” 

God was there.  

And he was there with Daniel in the lion’s den shutting the mouth of the lions. 

He came to Elijah in the cave and said, 

“The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, 

for the Lord is about to pass by.”  

In, God came to the cave where he was hiding.  

God was with David, and let Peter out of prison, and protected Paul in the sea.  

In case you forget He (God) will take care of you too.  

He knows where you are.  

He has not left you or abandoned you.  

Surely, he will rescue you when you call out to Him.  

God never promised that there wouldn’t be bad times and places, 

but he does promise to be with us in those times as much as in the good and easy times. 

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted 

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalms 34:18