Bringing the Light of Christ to Dark Places

Maggie Delaporte lay on a hospital bed, surrounded by doctors and nurses. Another surgery. Another fight. Four years ago, she had faced this battle and won. After grueling treatments and surgeries, her cancer had gone into remission. But now, the unthinkable had happened. The disease was back, more aggressive than before. 

As she waited for yet another surgery, Maggie could have let fear consume her. She could have questioned why this was happening again. But instead, she focused on one thing: sharing God’s goodness with everyone around her. 

“I have to say, people listen a lot more about Jesus when you’re suffering in a hospital bed,” Maggie says with a smile. “It’s an honest, unexpected place.” 

For Maggie, this second battle with cancer could have driven her into despair. Instead, it renewed her passion for Christ. Not knowing what tomorrow may bring has given her an urgency to share the gospel today.

When we struggle to share our faith, Maggie reminds us of these truths:

As Christians, we often wait for the “perfect moment” to share our faith. But what if God can use every moment—even the difficult ones? For Maggie, enduring chemotherapy revealed a powerful truth: God can use suffering as a platform for His glory. 

“Jesus can use you because of your suffering, because of your weakness,” she explains. “I immediately knew God gave me a platform in that hospital room. Those incredible doctors, even with all of their knowledge of science, couldn’t explain how I was still alive with my diagnosis. To me, the answer was obvious. This is God’s platform; I just have to open my mouth and speak.” 

Through our Revelation study, BSF lesson notes remind us that “God strategically positions His people in the world to reveal Jesus and spread the gospel.” 

For Maggie, being “strategically positioned” doesn’t mean standing on a stage with a microphone. It means speaking truth from a hospital bed. 

“I wish I could talk about Jesus from a beautiful stage, dressed nicely. But God has given me this mission right here. And He’s shown me that, despite my suffering, His power flows through me. Nothing can stop it.” 

Each time Maggie steps into a medical facility, she prays a simple prayer: “Lord, open my mouth and use me to testify to you.” And He answers—again and again. 

Many of us hesitate to share our faith, worried we won’t have the right words. But Maggie has learned that God works through willing, imperfect people. 

“Before I was sick, I worried so much about saying everything perfectly. I felt like it all depended on me,” Maggie admits. “Now I see it differently. When you’re desperate, you don’t have time to overthink. You just cry out to God and say, ‘Lord, open my mouth. Use me.’ And you know what? He does. Every time.” 

She’s discovered that authenticity speaks louder than perfection. People aren’t looking for polished sermons—they’re starving for real hope. 

“It’s funny,” Maggie says. “When you’re honest, when you’re real, people just lean in. They want to hear about Jesus. I’ve learned that if I just show up, He will give me the words.” 

For Maggie, time spent in God’s Word strengthens her faith and equips her to share with confidence. 

“Every time I open my Bible, I’m reminded of His promises—how He works in impossible situations. When you fill yourself with His truth, you have something solid to cling to, even in the storm. And when you experience His goodness firsthand, you can’t help but share it.” 

Maggie doesn’t claim to be perfect. She isn’t a trained evangelist. But she clings to Christ—and He is enough. 

So, how does Maggie share Jesus? She simply tells her story. She talks about what she’s learning in her BSF study. And she prays for opportunities, trusting God to provide both the moment and the words. 

Our Revelation study compels us to share God’s truth. Maggie’s journey reminds us: we don’t have to be perfect to speak—we just have to be willing. 

Trusting God in a Broken World

As her words tumbled out at my dining table, tears welled up in my eyes. My dear friend opened up about the suffering she endured at the hands of someone she trusted. 

I don’t need to go into the details of her painful story. You have heard others like it. You may have experienced something similar. As I listened and wept with her, something in me screamed for justice. 

As image-bearers of a just God, we long for wrongs to be made right. We yearn for justice to prevail. But unlike a God who is “just and true” in all His ways (Revelation 15:3), our desire for justice is tainted by sin. And even when we long for God’s perfect justice, we are so limited in what we can do. 

What can we do when we feel powerless in the face of unfairness or oppression? 

Our weakness compels us to turn to God with our stories. We find rest not in wrangling a fair outcome by ourselves but in trusting a God who is just in every single one of His actions. 

As Christians who are in the world but not of it, we often find ourselves in unfair situations because we refuse to conform to its “pattern” or play by its rules (Romans 12:2). Perhaps you’re passed up for a promotion because you prioritized integrity over competition. Or maybe you’re left out of a social situation because of the biblical values you stand for. None of us are immune from the pain of betrayal, abuse, rejection, or slander. Globally, believers face horrific persecution daily for their faith. 

Often, we’re told to ignore the barbs, to move on, to let it go. We are hastily directed to verses like Romans 8:28, which remind us that God works out all things for our good and His glory. However, those quick fixes often feel like platitudes or, worse still, admonitions to stay silent. Growing up in a shame-and-honor culture in India, I’m only too familiar with the concept of letting things slide, of hiding my own hurt, of keeping silent.  

Very rarely are we encouraged to experience the rawness of our emotions before an almighty God. Very rarely are we reminded to acknowledge the unfairness of our circumstances—the very circumstances that our Father sees. Psalm 34:15 tells us, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry.” Very rarely are we prompted to bare our wounds and express our desire for justice before a God who fights our battles for us (Deuteronomy 20:4). While we are not called to be consumed by our quest for personal or societal justice, we are called to trust a God who is the all-consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24). He redeems our desire for retribution by leading us to trust the One who declares that vengeance is His and that He will repay (Romans 12:17). 

Revelation reminds us that God reigns over history. The enemy and the powers of darkness may wage war against the Lamb, “but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers” (Revelation 17:14). 

As Christians, we grieve the wrongs done to us and the injustices that exist in a broken world. The Psalms give us the language of lament to mourn the losses and the pain we experience. But Scripture also gives us vocabulary through which we can cast our hurts at the feet of a God of justice and power. There is perhaps no better example of bringing our burdens before the Lord than how David did in his psalms. Yet, we notice that in these psalms, David did not put the burden of justice on himself. Neither did he seize the reins of violence. Instead, he appealed to the character of God and found rest in who God is.   

Your story in this fallen world may feel weighed down by injustice. But this is not the end. Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). We can trust the God of unwavering justice to write a better and truer story. Christ’s death, resurrection, and rule point to the ultimate triumph of good over evil and injustice. 

He is a God who restores the years the locusts have eaten so we are never again put to shame (Joel 2). Find rest, knowing that God has not forgotten your pain or overlooked the injustice done to you. He will one day make all things new, and His “called, chosen and faithful followers” will triumphantly reign with Him.