From One Friend to Another
Words from Jesus
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And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.—Isaiah 45:3
When you feel alone, always remember that I love you with an everlasting love. I am touched by everything you experience, and I understand how you feel. I am moved with compassion for you. This stage of your life won’t last forever, and if you cast every burden you are carrying on Me, you will find the strength to continue onward and stay faithful to Me (Psalm 55:22).
You may feel small and insignificant at times and wonder how the God of the universe and Creator of all things could possibly understand you and the things you go through in life. But I understand you completely because I made you! I created every part of you—your body, mind, and soul, down to the tiniest cell in your brain.
I understand every thought and every worry and fear that you have. I created your spirit, and I gave you life. I experienced life as a human being and I understand loneliness, pain, loss, suffering, and struggle (Hebrews 4:15).
Maybe you are tempted to ask, “If You know what I’m going through, why don’t You help me out of it or change this situation?” Trust Me that I know the situation you’re in and I understand how difficult the struggle is. But as you commit your ways to Me and trust Me to guide and direct the path of your life, I will work every single thing you experience together for your good. I care for you, and every hair on your head is counted—along with every aspect of your life (Luke 12:7).
Trust that these times are part of My work in your life, as they draw you closer to Me. Don’t worry or be discouraged about your present situation—this time won’t last forever. Make the best of the situation while you’re in it. Things will change, and there’ll come a time when you’ll look back and realize the treasures in the darkness that you mined during this time, and how I used this time to draw you close to Me.
Choosing the right perspective
The prospect of the righteous is joy.—Proverbs 10:28
If you had a choice, would you rather live somewhere where the sun never shines, and where it’s always cloudy and gray, where the people never seem to find anything to be happy about or celebrate? Or would you rather live where it’s bright and sunny, where the cool breezes blow, and the people are happy and smiling?
Whenever you choose to look at things from a negative or hopeless perspective, you’re walking right into that dreary gray world of negativity, where the sun doesn’t show its face from behind the clouds and there is no hope for a brighter tomorrow. Negativity is like a dark cloud that covers up the beautiful blue skies and makes everything look sad and gray and joyless.
But whenever you adopt a positive perspective that’s full of faith, it’s as if you have chosen to reside in a place that’s bright and filled with hope and promise. In that place, no matter what happens, I am with you, and your future will be a glorious one for all eternity. It’s a place where the clouds can’t stop the sun from shining through; they seem to only make the blue skies even more beautiful. Even the clouds and storms of life that do arise are sure to ultimately rain down blessings of love and greater faith and understanding.
Faith is the evidence of the things hoped for and written in My Word—and the promise of a beautiful life to come, filled with joy and promise (Hebrews 11:1). Choose a faith-filled perspective on life and you will experience My joy.
Great victories
Blessed are those who find strength in you. Their hearts are on the road that leads to you. … Their strength grows as they go along until each one of them appears in front of God in Zion.—Psalm 84:5–7
When you call out to Me when you are weary or downcast, I can help you to dispel the giants of discouragement. When you are struggling with fear and feelings of failure, I am your ever-present help and place of refuge (Psalm 46:1).
Whenever you come to Me when you are weary and heavy laden, I give you rest. I watch over you every step of your life’s journey, whether it is uphill or downhill, or whether you feel like you’re on target or you’ve strayed off the path. My rod and staff always guide and comfort you (Psalm 23:4).
My Spirit always watches over you, and with each step, each test, I have always been at your side. I see the future and all the great things that I have in store for you. I see the past and all the lives that have been touched and helped and led to Me because of your faithfulness to follow Me and allow Me to work in and through you.
I see the prayers that you have prayed and the fruit that has been borne through your commitment to Me. I see the great victories that have been won because of your love and your perseverance, and because of your fervent prayers and faithfulness to My cause and mission.
Let patience have its perfect work
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.—Romans 8:25
Patience is one of the greatest lessons that My servants learned in times past when life moved a lot slower. It’s a difficult lesson to learn, and the same advice that was given to My children thousands of years ago applies as well today: “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and He will strengthen your heart” (Psalm 27:14).
Everything that you experience in this life is preparation for the future, as you grow in your walk with Me and are transformed more and more into My likeness. It may not seem to you that you’re learning, growing, or accomplishing much as you continue to be faithful to Me day after day and year after year. It certainly didn’t seem that way to Moses when he was in the wilderness tending sheep, but that was part of My plan.
That time was necessary to teach him the things that he would need in his service to Me in later years. I was able to instruct him and speak to his heart in the quiet hours that he spent with Me. I was able to work in his life to make him into the kind of vessel that he needed to be for the special calling I had for him.
When it feels like your life is in a waiting pattern, trust that I have a plan for you. Hold on to Me through this time, and I’ll bring you forth as fine gold, fit for My use (1 Peter 1:7). I’ve entrusted you with a very important job. It’s not one that necessarily has a title to go with it that will be recognized and appreciated by the world. But My great commission and calling to share My truth, hope, and salvation with others is an important job, because the eternal destiny of people depends on it.
Walk a mile
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.—Romans 12:15
The saying “walk a mile in their shoes” is commonly quoted, but have you ever paused to think about what it really means? If you have tried walking in someone else’s shoes, you’ve probably discovered that it can be quite uncomfortable. But putting yourself in someone else’s place helps you to better understand what they are going through and how to love your neighbor as you love yourself (Matthew 22:39).
Learning to walk in someone else’s shoes is one of the most important keys to truly empathizing with others. So whenever there’s someone you have a hard time relating to, remind yourself that they may be carrying a load of secret sorrows, confusion, or struggles that you cannot see. Make a conscious effort to put yourself in their shoes and it will help you to treat them with kindness and consideration and to offer encouragement and hope.
Even small gestures of love and appreciation can go a long way for someone who feels unnoticed, left behind, or overwhelmed. You’ll see that if you try to understand what they are going through and walk alongside them, you can make a difference in that person’s life. They will know that someone cares and ultimately that I care for them.
Originally published in 1999. Adapted and republished March 2025. Read by Jon Marc. Music by John Listen.
