Jesus' Darkest Hour

But Peter said to him, "Even though all may fall away because of you, I will never fall away.  (Matthew 26:33 NASB)

   I've always thought that the darkest hour for Jesus was either in the garden of Gethsemane when he was presented with the cup of wrath, or when he was on the cross and his Heavenly Father turned his face away from of our sin.  During my daily reading of Matthew 26 another possibility arose.  Between the garden experience and the false trial, Jesus encountered the betrayal of Judah.  Not only that, but no one bothered to declare his innocence.  None of his disciples spoke up for him.  Not even outspoken Peter, who so boldly proclaimed, "Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you."  The Bible states, "Then all the disciples left him and fled."  Yes, you read that right, all of them.

   Have you experienced your darkest hour?  Perhaps a close family member passed away, or the doctor said, "There's no cure," or a marriage partner suddenly abandoned the family.  In those moments, you faced your darkest hour and the world around you collapsed.

   My darkest hour occurred in 1949 when my father, at the young age of 49, suddenly died due to a blood clot on the heart.  My world suddenly collapsed.  I was left alone, fearful, and confused.  A huge void appeared in my life.  What could I do?  To whom could I turn for comfort, courage, and strength?

   I found t the only person who can provide these much needed remedies is the Lord Jesus Christ.  By turning to him by faith, he will fill the empty voide in our lives.