A NEW BEGINNING: HOPE Amid Despair!
“You made men (charioteers) ride over our heads [in defeat]; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a [broad] place of abundance [to be refreshed].” – Psalm 66:12 Amplified Bible.
The year was 2006, a time when everything seemed hopeless and beyond redemption from a natural point of view. I had just finished medical school six months prior and was eagerly waiting for a spot to complete my mandatory one-year internship. The waiting period felt like an eternity, and in my restlessness, I decided to venture into business. With nothing but theoretical knowledge and no practical experience, I jumped in, confident that my book smarts would be enough to succeed. I know better now.
The Cost of Ignoring Mentorship
In my simplicity, I ignored the value of mentorship, thinking I could figure it out on my own. My ambition led me into a deep financial pit instead of the wealth I had envisioned. I let down my friends and my elder brother, who had placed their trust in me and my ambitious venture. It was a devastating experience, and the situation seemed inescapable.
When All Seems Lost: The Darkest Hour
As the weight of my failures bore down on me, my fiancé left, and I found myself in a deep emotional and spiritual valley. Despair set in, and the enemy of my soul began whispering thoughts of suicide, nudging me toward ending my life in a well at my mother’s house. It felt like there was no way out, and the darkness was overwhelming.
But during this turmoil, God showed up. Psalm 68:20 says, “God is to us a God of acts of salvation; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death [setting us free].” In my darkest hour, God provided a way of escape, not through instant change but through the revelation of His Word.
The Power of the Word: A Lifeline in Desperation
Two scriptures became my lifeline:
• 1 Samuel 12:22 KJV: “For the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you, His people.”
• Hosea 13:14 KJV: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from Mine eyes.”
These verses didn’t change my situation overnight, but they gave me the assurance of a new beginning. Romans 15:4 NIV reminds us, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
Two Kinds of Hope: Which One Will You Choose?
Romans 4:18 speaks of two kinds of hope: the hope rooted in this world and the hope that comes from the Word of God. The latter, grounded in God’s promises, is what gives us the strength to endure and the encouragement to believe in a new beginning.
My Journey to a New Beginning
Supernaturally, God began to turn my life around. I secured my internship spot and started paying off my debts, a process that lasted until the end of my internship. With God’s help, I experienced A NEW BEGINNING—a new job, a new rented house (where I was the first occupant), a new fiancé who became my spouse, and a divine open door that led us to the United States for a new life filled with purpose and meaning. [To be continued next week].
