How often have you seen people that overcome by an addiction that they have lost everything; friends, family, job, home, money- everything? We often refer to people in this situation as having hit "rock bottom".
What if someone has hit rock bottom and not done anything wrong? Really, does this happen?
The answer is an emphatic YES and the example is found in the book of Jeremiah...
6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into
the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son, that was in the court of
the guard: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon
there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire. (WEB) note: emphasis added
6 And they took Jeremiah and threw him into the pit of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the court of the guardhouse. And they let Jeremiah down with ropes. But no water was in the pit, only mud. So Jeremiah sank into the mud. (LITV) note: emphasis added
6 And they take Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malchiah son of the king, that is in the court of the prison, and they send down Jeremiah with cords; and in the pit there is no water, but mire, and Jeremiah sinketh in the mire. (YLT) note: emphasis added
Jeremiah, Chapter 38 (World English Bible)
6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into
the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son, that was in the court of
the guard: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon
there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire. (emphasis added)
7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch,
who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in
the dungeon (the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin),
8 Ebedmelech went out of the king’s house,
and spoke to the king, saying,
9 My lord the king, these men have done evil
in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have
cast into the dungeon; and he is likely to die in the place where he
is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.
10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the
Ethiopian, saying, Take from here thirty men with you, and take up
Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies. (emphasis added)
11 So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and
went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took there
rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the
dungeon to Jeremiah.
12 Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah,
Put now these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the
cords. Jeremiah did so.
13 So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords,
and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the
court of the guard.
14 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took
Jeremiah the prophet to him into the third entry that is in Yahweh’s
house: and the king said to Jeremiah, I will ask you something. Hide
nothing from me. (emphasis added)
15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I
declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? and if I give
you counsel, you will not listen to me.
16 So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to
Jeremiah, saying, As Yahweh lives, who made us this soul, I will not
put you to death, neither will I give you into the hand of these men
who seek your life.
17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, Thus says
Yahweh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel: If you will go out to
the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul shall live, and this
city shall not be burned with fire; and you shall live, and your
house.
18 But if you will not go out to the king of
Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of
the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not
escape out of their hand.
19 Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, I am
afraid of the Jews who are fallen away to the Chaldeans, lest they
deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
20 But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver
you. Obey, I beg you, the voice of Yahweh, in that which I speak to
you: so it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live.
21 But if you refuse to go out, this is the
word that Yahweh has shown me:
22 behold, all the women who are left in the
king of Judah’s house shall be brought out to the king of Babylon’s
princes, and those women shall say, Your familiar friends have set
you on, and have prevailed over you. Your feet are sunk in the mire,
they have turned away back.
23 They shall bring out all your wives and
your children to the Chaldeans; and you shall not escape out of their
hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and you
shall cause this city to be burned with fire.
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, Let no man
know of these words, and you shall not die.
25 But if the princes hear that I have talked
with you, and they come to you, and tell you, Declare to us now what
you have said to the king; don’t hide it from us, and we will not
put you to death; also what the king said to you:
26 then you shall tell them, I presented my
supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to
Jonathan’s house, to die there.
27 Then came all the princes to Jeremiah, and
asked him; and he told them according to all these words that the
king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the
matter was not perceived.
28 So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the
guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.
I remembered Jeremiah being lowered into a pit, but couldn't find in the World English Bible, so I did a little searching and found out that The WEB uses "dungeon" instead. However you translate the word, the point is that Jeremiah was in a situation through no fault of his own.
He didn't stay there, of course, because God (and Zedekiah) had plans for him. Zedekiah wanted to inquire of God and Jeremiah's response was to show him a way out of his immanent predicament with the Chaldeans. Zedekiah didn't listen and paid the price.
The point of all this is to say that if you are at "rock bottom" in your life, it is possible that God is using you. Consider this passage from the book of 1st Peter...
1 Peter, Chapter 2 (WEB)
19 For it is commendable if someone endures
pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God. (emphasis added)
20 For what glory is it if, when you sin, you
patiently endure beating? But if, when you do well, you patiently
endure suffering, this is commendable with God.
21 For to this you were called, because Christ
also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow
his steps,
22 who did not sin, “neither was deceit
found in his mouth.”Isaiah 53:9
23 Who, when he was cursed, didn’t curse
back. When he suffered, didn’t threaten, but committed himself to
him who judges righteously;
24 who his own self bore our sins in his body
on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to
righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.
Be like Jesus. If you suffer, you suffer-
Peter calls it commendable!!!