Did that get your attention(the title)? Well, I'm sure that in some way it snagged your curiosity. First, let me say that I'm not writing this because this is where I am, but that I feel inspired to do so. Although you should know, I have been there a few times. Put it this way, I am acquainted enough with "Hitting Bottom" in my life that I am very comfortable in talking about it(and doing so with some level expertise). Be it mental, spiritual, or physical I can safely say "BEEN THERE"! People reading this that know me in some way can vouch for this. Now, I'm not a whiner, and whining will get you nowhere, so don't feel this is a whine session. As you'll soon find out it is the opposite!
So, what is so great about hitting bottom, you ask. Well, let me show you a few points that I feel God and life has reveled to me.
1.}
When you hit bottom the first thing you feel is the PAIN of hitting bottom! Like it or not, PAIN is still a sign of LIFE! The first thing you need to realize is that no matter how hard the hit, or how far the fall, the reason and causes of the fall, be it of you own accord or a vicious and sudden hit it's all "IRRELEVANT" at the point of impact! Recovery will come in good time. The word of God says in Micah 7:8 "...When I FALL, I shall ARISE...", it may not feel like it now, but if you'll be patient you WILL get up!
Now, at the point of impact when it hurts more than words can describe, right there in that instant is hope reveled. If you felt the PAIN guess what...YOUR STILL ALIVE! And no matter what, that revelation is the beginning of your uprising. Dead people can't get up, but YOU CAN! The PAIN is your assurance, or comfort if you please. Be comforted in your PAIN, because that is sometime your only reality; that I am alive, and if I'm alive there is STILL hope for me. As crazy as this sounds: "do not whine or complain about why it happen or how bad it hurts, but be comforted in the pain". Jesus said to Paul in II Corinthians 12:9 "...My grace is sufficient...", turn your PAIN into possibility!!! I'm certain that right now some of you are reading this and thinking "what a bunch of shallow one liners, and advice. This stuff sounds good, but that's it, there's no real substance behind the sounds!" Time does not permit me now, but later I'll write and give you a small glimpse of some of the worst times ever in my life, like: dying 3 times, doctors told me I'd NEVER walk again, major depression, and other stuff. Not right now because it takes too long, but for all of you that know me can leave a comment as a witness that I've been through a few things(especially those of you who where there, and thanks). Remember, PAIN is PROGRESS, and it is the affirmation of LIFE(that there is still a chance!)!!!
Let me interject this here before going on. God does not just use blessings, healing, miracles, goose bumps and other "feel good stuff". Sometimes, not always or even often but sometimes, he uses PAIN to get us closer to him! To strengthen our faith in Him, or for what ever He deems fit. Also, let me add(please get this) PAIN is NOT always PUNISHMENT!!! (You can breathe a sigh of relief now, God is NOT mad at you!) Again, PAIN is NOT always PUNISHMENT!
2.}
Now this step is important to grasp(they all are, really). Falling is not always a bad thing! That's right I said it(I'm not speaking of fall as in sin here). Actually a fall can be a very beneficial thing:
a. It makes you tougher
b. You learn your limits
c. It can keep humble
d. Your learn to trust in God
e. To get up from a fall you learn to accept and appreciate the helping hands reaching down(and that, you can't always do it all by yourself!)
f. You'll find out who are your real friends and who really cares for you
g. You find out, your not as invincible as you may think that you are
h. You can't learn to walk with out falling
i. And finally; once you hit bottom... that's as far down as you can go, or you wouldn't have "HIT BOTTOM"
Believe it or not, there IS a correct way to fall(stop laughing, I'm serious). You see you can learn just as much falling or hitting bottom than you can from walking, or the mountain top. Often you can learn more! See, most people when they hit bottom the fall right into there problem rather than falling into there solution! What you must learn from falling is WHERE to fall. I know what your thinking, "how can you possibly have control of where you fall?" Let me be completely honest; I will not be able to adequately describe it in explicit detail. Sometimes it can't be spelled out, it must be lived(I hope that makes sense)! Let me give an example of falling, the way most do. The bills are piling up: house payment, car payment, heath and auto insurance, light bill, water bill, electric bill(boy this is starting to get depressing,LOL) groceries, gas for the cars, well you get the point. So now, not only are the bills piling up, your hours or your salary gets cut, the amount of the bills are rapidly becoming more than the amount of money that's coming in(thus the title "income", thought you might enjoy that), so what do most people do? They turn or "fall" to credit cards instead of changing their life style of Starbucks, restaurants, gadgets, etc. they just use (or fall into) credit cards, paying only the minimum on them each month, to try and bail themselves out. Now, we all know how this will turn them out, flat on their backs. Thus, falling the wrong way! By the way this is not a posting about finances.
So, when the time comes, and when the fall happens, because it will! Fall into God! Proverbs 3:5-6 said it best "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
The words "lean not" literally means to "fall back on", so Solomon(the wisest man ever) said in essence "don't fall back onto your own understanding... fall into Him!"
When you fall, fall into Jesus! And when you learn to do this, you have then fallen correctly, and it is very beneficial!
3.} Lastly, and I'll try to keep this part as brief as I can, because it really needs no expounding, even though I could for a long time(and want to, but I don't like typing!) So, here it is the main point of posting: "The Comfort In Hitting Bottom"
Probably the most powerful revelation of hitting bottom is... THAT'S IT!!! You hit bottom, as low as you could go, Hell tried it's best, life took it's best shot thus far... you hit bottom, and guess what? YOUR STILL HERE!!! Are you hearing me you, have at the very least SURVIVED!!! So, this you know above all so far I got knock down with their BEST shot and I'm still alive!!! I maybe hurting, bleeding, broken, limping, crawling, or crying BUT I'M STILL BREATHING!!! And where there is still life, there is still HOPE for recovery!
Job took the worst beating by Satan ever known to mankind. Job lost everything(you know the story), he was so sick, and agonizing so bad, that out of an act of love, compassion, and desperation his wife asked him to just curse God and die, to just end the torment and suffering that Job was living in. And with all Satan did, with all Satan threw at Job(and he threw it all, the best he had!). After being hit with all Satan had, and knocked down, and HITTING BOTTOM, guess what happened to Job? JOB... SURVIVED!!! He survived the worst satanic attack ever known, and he did it by knowing how and where to "Hit Bottom", or fall. And Job didn't just "survive" JOB WON! Because Job knew where to FALL, the second half of his life was twice blessed! The bible then says in Job 24:10 "....the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before." Also scripture says of Job two verse's later (Job 42:12) "So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning..."
When you HIT BOTTOM, take a deep breath, and as your taking that deep breath and the PAIN is excruciating...Take comfort! Because, they hit you with their best shot...You FELL as far as they could push you, but the PAIN you feel is your COMFORT, to say... "I HAVE SURVIVED !!!"
By: Timothy J. Whiseant
This is a snippet of a message God gave me while I was going through the ordeal of my wreck. This was not a sermon given from God but a life message I had to live. Some reading this post have probably heard me preach this sometime over the last 7 1/2 years. God has urged and allowed me to preach this all over the country and other parts of the world(I say this with the utmost humility). The Title of this message is "The Revelation of Jobs Fight".
I felt really impressed of the Lord to post this little portion of it, which is very unusual. As you read through my other post's you will see they are of a totally different nature. I don't say it lightly that I felt impressed to post this, I just don't post stuff like this on the Internet.
If you feel at all that this has help, inspired, or uplifted you, or maybe you feel like this was a word for you, please leave a comment, or testimony, so that others can be blessed by your testimony!
Thank you & God Bless
Visit our church website at http://www.vacavillelife.com/
I will also post this on www.myspace.com/timothywhiseant
