Hope and Gratitude in the Valley

by Rob Berman

I’m sure that, like me, you have had numerous conversations this year and heard the same message over and over again, ‘This has been a really tough year’; ‘I’ve really struggled’; ‘This has been the hardest year of my life.’ It’s easy to become discouraged and stuck in a rut of negativity and hopelessness when we’re in the valley of life. These valleys are dark and often feel like they might never end.

But that is not what we’ve been called to. As followers of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, we have been called to hope and the joy of the Lord. Paul emphasises this in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10,

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

And Paul knew a thing or two about trials and tribulations:

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:25-33)

That’s enough to overwhelm anyone.

Yet, despite the extreme trials that Paul faced, he did not give in to despair. Did he struggle and ask the Lord for relief? Of course. We know that in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, Paul asked the Lord to take away the thorn in his flesh, but the Lord refused. Did Paul fall apart or give into depression? Absolutely not. And that is remarkable!

But that is not to say that we have to walk around with a permanent smile on our faces, pretending that everything is fine when it is not. No, we serve a God who is finely attuned to our experiences and emotions. In Exodus 3:7, the Lord tells Moses, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings.’

In fact, Jesus essentially commands us to come to Him with our burdens.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28)

Come is an invitation but also a command. The Lord wants to be in the middle of our struggles and pain.

As followers of Jesus, we know that the Lord promised that in this life, we will have tribulations, and these tribulations take on many forms, but we know that the Lord promised that He has overcome the world, and no matter what we go through, He will be with us. How encouraging! The God of the universe, who spoke all things into being, is with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Another way that we can take courage is to reflect on how the Lord has been with us during and despite our time in the valley.

At Jews for Jesus, it has been an emotionally difficult year because of the aftermath of the 7 October attacks, the 101 hostages still in captivity, and the war that’s still ongoing. Our people all over the world have felt the sting of rising anti-Semitism and the fear that comes with it. But we take hope, as the Lord is using this affliction to turn our people’s hearts to Him. As I have previously mentioned, there has been an incredible uptick in requests for Hebrew and English New Testaments since 7 October, with more than double the requests since then.

We have also read and heard many stories of Jewish people worldwide placing their hope in Jesus, their Jewish Messiah. It is only the Lord who can work such wonderous things in the midst of tragedy and pain.

We have been in awe of the Lord’s hand of protection over Israel throughout this war. With ballistic missile attacks seemingly coming from all fronts, there has been little damage to property and remarkably little loss of life. That is truly a miracle of God and shows that He still deeply cares for His people.

Jews for Jesus (as an organisation) underwent a global leadership change this year. We praise the Lord for a smooth transition and for guiding us through this process. With new leadership, we have a fresh energy and enthusiasm to see more Jewish people than ever before come to know Jesus as their Messiah. We are excited to explore new ways to connect Jewish people worldwide with their Messiah and partner with individuals, groups and networks because the harvest is ripe, and the workers are few.

Here, at home, we have also navigated a leadership transition amidst the challenges and aftermath of the 7 October attacks. We are so grateful to the Lord for guiding us through this transition and enabling us to make meaningful connections with the Jewish community in South Africa. At a time when the darkness in the world appears to grow ever darker, and Jews and Christians face increasing challenges, the Lord is faithful to complete the work that He began in us, just as He was in the days of Noah, Abraham, Joseph and Paul.

We have faced many challenges this year, and we will surely face many more in the year to come, but just like the prophet Jeremiah, we find hope as we reflect on the character of the Lord:

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:21-24)