The Best Of Greek For The Weekنموونە

You’re Most Spiritual During Your Hardest Times 

If you are feeling less than spiritual today, be encouraged. Many times, we are the most spiritual when we are feeling the least spiritual, and we have the most faith when we feel like our faith has run out. The truth is, our Christian walk is much bigger than how we feel. In Revelation 1:9–10, God’s Word shows us that walking with Christ isn’t just holy goosebumps or spiritual summits.

In this passage, the apostle John was in political exile. His preaching had gotten him into trouble. So the authorities of Asia Minor sent John away to Patmos, a little island in the Aegean Sea off the coast of modern-day Turkey. It was hot, the terrain was rugged, and as a political prisoner, John—now in his nineties—would have been forced to break rocks in the quarry. It would have been tough even for a young man.

If we were in John’s sandals, we might have wondered why God allowed this to happen. But John, describing his conditions as he writes to the seven major churches of Asia Minor, says he “was on the island called Patmos…I was in the Spirit.” In English, we miss the irony behind what John is saying, but in the Greek, the term for “was on” and “was in” is the same: egenomen en. It literally reads, “was in the island called Patmos…I was in the Spirit.” John’s original audience would have caught the nuance and found it astounding. The double use of this statement draws a contrast between John’s exile on a lonely island and his relationship with the Lord.

Patmos represents dark and dismal times when we don’t feel the Lord’s presence. It may be the most challenging moments, when everything is going wrong and you’re wondering where God is. You’ve been faithful, but you’re suffering. Perhaps you’ve lost your job or a friend betrayed you. Maybe something you’ve been praying for hasn’t come to pass. In times like these, we may feel like hope is lost and we must not be very spiritual. But remember, being spiritual doesn’t mean everything goes right. 

God’s Word tells us that His presence is most felt in the middle of these challenges. There’s no guarantee that you will “feel” it, but you can trust that when you go through “Patmos moments,” the Spirit of God is present and bringing you through them, whether you realize it or not.