Good News at Rock Bottom: A 5-Day Devotional Plan With Ray Ortlundნიმუში

Where God Meets Us

You don’t need to go looking for it. Sooner or later, it comes and finds you—something horrible, some experience unforeseeable and even unimaginable.

Neither of us wants to spiral down into self-pity. That doesn’t help us, and it doesn’t honor Christ. What we do want is enough hope to keep going with dignity. We want to face life as it is, upheld by Christ. Yes, we suffer anguish along the way. But we want to feel loved by him, as only survivors can. What if we follow Jesus together, you there and me here? We can find, to our surprise, that it’s down at rock bottom where he finds us. In fact, the low place of loss and bewilderment and regrets and tears—he’s already down there. It’s where he dwells, where he awaits us and welcomes us.

First, if your broken heart is starting to feel a little less isolated and more included, then maybe Charles Spurgeon can speak for you. Looking back at his conversion to Christ, he said:

“I felt that I could not be happy without fellowship with the people of God. I wanted to be wherever they were. And if anybody ridiculed them, I wished to be ridiculed with them. And if people had an ugly name for them, I wanted to be called by that ugly name. For I felt that, unless I suffered with Christ in his humiliation, I could not expect to reign with him in his glory.”

I hope your heart is saying that too. Mine sure is. I’m so done with fishing for approval from the wrong kind of people.

Second, if your heart is still crushed—deep injuries take time to heal—then here is a thought from Jesus himself. He said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). God has told us, in Isaiah 57:15, that he dwells way up high and way down low. We can’t deserve someone like that. All he asks us to do is believe him. And when our faith opens up, his presence shows up. This high and holy God, who dwells among the lowly, is himself lowly. Jesus said, “I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29). No surprise, then, that he loves to dwell among the lowly. And he invites you to believe it: “Believe in God; believe also in me.” Will you? He will lead you on from there.

Maybe a conversation has already begun between your wounded soul and the living Christ. It could go like this:

Soul. I’m so sad, so confused. I’m not sure what to think anymore.

Christ. Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

Soul. But you don’t understand. I’m weak, unsteady. I will let you down.

Christ. Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

Soul. But what if you find in me some pretty crazy thoughts and feelings? On a bad day, I can be downright ridiculous.

Christ. Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

Soul. Look, it’s hard for me to admit this. But I happen to have some filthy habits you don’t even want to know about.

Christ. Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

Soul. I get it! I get it! But if I agree, if I start believing in you, will you be patient with me while I stumble along the way?

Christ. Give me a chance. I will prove myself to you.

Soul. Okay, then. Okay. I believe.

Christ. I’m all in. And I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Reflection Questions

1. It’s hard to think about, I know. But what has been the worst rock-bottom experience in your life thus far? And what made it horrible for you?
2. Two surprising insights help us face our lives with new courage: (1) who Jesus is; (2) where Jesus is. Isaiah 57:15 explains both. Which aspects of this verse energize you the most? And why do you find them compelling?