This journey called life is exactly that....a life long trek through the dredges that is our existence. Not a sprint...not a jog...not even a swift power walk...just simply one foot in front of the other day after day. During the times when things are seemingly easy we sail along mindlessly from moment to moment. When a challenge arises...the rubber really meets the road so to speak.
Sometimes I get weary in the struggles. I lose my focus and begin to become lethargic in my faith. Not a moment goes by that I doubt that God exists but many come around that I legitimately question Him. Again...not His love, not His trustworthiness, not even His best for me. But rather my love for Him, my trustworthiness and my lack of obedience. He is truly the only strength that I need when I falter. Why is it so difficult for me to rest there?
The more we depend on Him the less we depend on ourselves. I tell myself that over and over in a days time. Yet I selfishly go on about my desire to "fix" things on my own. My ways must be better than anyone else could possible know. After all, I know my heart. I know my needs. I know what is best for me in the moment. Lies from Satan. Untruths that do not coincide with what Scripture tells me to be so. That is why Matthew 6:24 tells me "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." The choice is mine. To believe that He alone can be my Master or to let the world dictate my path.
I alone must choose to lay down my rights every single day and pick up my cross and follow the One and Only Savior of my life. He is Almighty God! He is the Master of the seas. He is the Omnipotent One who loves and cares for me. Simply stated....He is love. When I look at those words and just rest there....I am once again whole. Once again at peace. Once again at one with my Creator and the true author and finisher of my faith.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
In life there are ups and downs. Every day we are constantly faced with the daunting task of making choices that ultimately can change the course of our lives. Sometimes we choose wisely and other times our decisions cause us to struggle where we never expected. Mistakes are made but just the pure definition of that is doing something that we didn't mean to do or hurting someone we didn't want to hurt with our actions.
As we walk through life, however, there are instances where trust becomes so important in our relationships. In marriage, in friendship, in medicine, in machinery....I can go on and on, but the point is that we have to rely on others and other things to survive. It is when those people or things let us down that we begin to understand suffering. When the chemo starts to lose it's power. When the battery in our car wains. When our spouse just doesn't seem to understand what we are trying to say. When our friends fail to hold us up when our strength is faltering. These are the realities. This is true life.
No one is absolute but Jesus. We have to rely only on Him. Everything else is just fluff. Not truth. Not trustworthy. Not secure. Only Jesus. I tell myself this over and over in a weeks time. Daily I look to Him to be my strength and almost always I fail to believe that He is all I need. I know that He is constant. His love is never failing. Yet I place my hope in people that continue to destroy my hope and cause me to stumble in my faith.
It is a challenge daily for me to keep my eyes fixed on Him. I want so much to believe that there is a reason for my journey through this struggle called Christianity. The end of my journey will be worth the battle. I do know that to be fact, but the suffering of being disappointed in so much is sometimes just heavy and disheartening. The Church is to be a reflection of Christ. I fail to see Christ in so much we attach to His name. I am disappointed in so much that we as the Body of Christ speak on His behalf. I do not believe that Jesus would ever judge like we judge and He has the ultimate right to do just that. He loves instead.
Jesus never told anyone to come back to Him and serve Him when they were right in their own eyes, or in the eyes of others. He simply said, "Go and sin no more." Sounds simple...we are the ones who have chosen to put conditions on forgiveness and moving forward in our walks.
It all comes down to this....Forgiveness is absolute in Christ. No debt remains. When will we get true understanding of that fact. It is finished!
As we walk through life, however, there are instances where trust becomes so important in our relationships. In marriage, in friendship, in medicine, in machinery....I can go on and on, but the point is that we have to rely on others and other things to survive. It is when those people or things let us down that we begin to understand suffering. When the chemo starts to lose it's power. When the battery in our car wains. When our spouse just doesn't seem to understand what we are trying to say. When our friends fail to hold us up when our strength is faltering. These are the realities. This is true life.
No one is absolute but Jesus. We have to rely only on Him. Everything else is just fluff. Not truth. Not trustworthy. Not secure. Only Jesus. I tell myself this over and over in a weeks time. Daily I look to Him to be my strength and almost always I fail to believe that He is all I need. I know that He is constant. His love is never failing. Yet I place my hope in people that continue to destroy my hope and cause me to stumble in my faith.
It is a challenge daily for me to keep my eyes fixed on Him. I want so much to believe that there is a reason for my journey through this struggle called Christianity. The end of my journey will be worth the battle. I do know that to be fact, but the suffering of being disappointed in so much is sometimes just heavy and disheartening. The Church is to be a reflection of Christ. I fail to see Christ in so much we attach to His name. I am disappointed in so much that we as the Body of Christ speak on His behalf. I do not believe that Jesus would ever judge like we judge and He has the ultimate right to do just that. He loves instead.
Jesus never told anyone to come back to Him and serve Him when they were right in their own eyes, or in the eyes of others. He simply said, "Go and sin no more." Sounds simple...we are the ones who have chosen to put conditions on forgiveness and moving forward in our walks.
It all comes down to this....Forgiveness is absolute in Christ. No debt remains. When will we get true understanding of that fact. It is finished!
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Psalm 119:28 "My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to Your Word."
Over and over in the scriptures we are given truths about what we should do with our fears, anxieties, sorrows, worries, challenges, doubts..... Laying them down and trusting in the One we have put our faith and trust in, Almighty God, comes so easily for me. I love the amazing feeling of unburdening myself at the foot of the cross. Pouring out all of my cares and begging God to relieve me of them and the struggles they cause in my walk. Opening up and weeping over the sin in my life and knowing He is faithful to hear and answer my prayers. Sometimes (most often) not exactly in my timing or in my chosen way, but always I believe according to His best and His will.
But...many days I feel like I am on a treadmill of sorts walking the same five feet over and over again. All of my own choosing. Even though I have made my prayerful and earnest requests known to my Lord and Savior who has promised me His constant and abiding love, fear and worry begin to creep back in. Philippians 4:16 tells me "Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God". I know He cares. I know He hears. I believe in His promises. But I fear the day's unfolding events. They are completely out of my control. I worry about the unknown. I play the outcomes over and over in my mind until it just becomes too much for me to bear and I find myself back at the foot of the cross looking for comfort and understanding. Matthew 6:34 - "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own". One day at a time.
1 Peter 5:10 promises me that "..the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast". Not in my time frame or on my time table. In my humanness I want comfortable. I want a life of happiness and contentment. The real problem is that I find myself accepting the happiness that the world extends and begin to believe that will fill my emptiness and help with my struggles. In reality I need joy and that can only come from walk with my Lord. He has to be enough in the good times but also in the dark times of struggle. His abiding love is the only true healing salve for our wounds of unhappiness, grief, hurt, discontent, suffering....
I will cling to that truth and look to Him for my strength in times of trials in my daily walk because 1 Peter 5:7 tells me to "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you". I am so thankful that He cares about my needs but also my desires. No judgement - just His grace. I want to lay everything down, believe in His truths and trust His best for me in every challenge that comes my way.
So I choose to step off my treadmill of unbelief and doubt and choose to embrace His Word for what it is- the Truth and rest there in His peace and comfort.
It all comes down to this..."Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." Psalm 51:12
Over and over in the scriptures we are given truths about what we should do with our fears, anxieties, sorrows, worries, challenges, doubts..... Laying them down and trusting in the One we have put our faith and trust in, Almighty God, comes so easily for me. I love the amazing feeling of unburdening myself at the foot of the cross. Pouring out all of my cares and begging God to relieve me of them and the struggles they cause in my walk. Opening up and weeping over the sin in my life and knowing He is faithful to hear and answer my prayers. Sometimes (most often) not exactly in my timing or in my chosen way, but always I believe according to His best and His will.
But...many days I feel like I am on a treadmill of sorts walking the same five feet over and over again. All of my own choosing. Even though I have made my prayerful and earnest requests known to my Lord and Savior who has promised me His constant and abiding love, fear and worry begin to creep back in. Philippians 4:16 tells me "Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God". I know He cares. I know He hears. I believe in His promises. But I fear the day's unfolding events. They are completely out of my control. I worry about the unknown. I play the outcomes over and over in my mind until it just becomes too much for me to bear and I find myself back at the foot of the cross looking for comfort and understanding. Matthew 6:34 - "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own". One day at a time.
1 Peter 5:10 promises me that "..the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast". Not in my time frame or on my time table. In my humanness I want comfortable. I want a life of happiness and contentment. The real problem is that I find myself accepting the happiness that the world extends and begin to believe that will fill my emptiness and help with my struggles. In reality I need joy and that can only come from walk with my Lord. He has to be enough in the good times but also in the dark times of struggle. His abiding love is the only true healing salve for our wounds of unhappiness, grief, hurt, discontent, suffering....
I will cling to that truth and look to Him for my strength in times of trials in my daily walk because 1 Peter 5:7 tells me to "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you". I am so thankful that He cares about my needs but also my desires. No judgement - just His grace. I want to lay everything down, believe in His truths and trust His best for me in every challenge that comes my way.
So I choose to step off my treadmill of unbelief and doubt and choose to embrace His Word for what it is- the Truth and rest there in His peace and comfort.
It all comes down to this..."Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." Psalm 51:12
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
When I Struggle to See The Light.....
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:8-12
It is abundantly clear to me that our sins are removed from our Savior's mind yet they continue to rear their ugly heads and cause us to stumble. How is it that if Almighty God himself can cast them as far as the east is from the west and choose to never revisit them that we believe it is our responsibility to keep them present? Is it our pride that won't allow us to believe that forgiveness is complete? Or is it just the lack of faith that pushes us back into the darkness of unbelief and despair?
Sin hinders our relationship with our Savior. Not just because we fail to repent, but rather that we choose to remain captive to the power it holds over our hearts. When we go to God with our sin He is faithful always to forgive it. There is nothing more He wants for and from us than a restored relationship with Him. The love He has for us is ever present...never diminished and never faltering. It is complete and full. Our love for Him however can often dwindle because of our struggle to see Him in difficulties.
Therein lies the issue of the body taking care of itself. When we are struggling with a certain area in our walk, God will send comfort and strength in ways we never expect. Sometimes that comes in the form of just sitting alone with Him and meditating on His truths. Other times it may come from a brother or sister in the Body who He sends to minister to us. Either way, God is at the heart of it all or it is useless. He knows us individually and personally and only He can supply our need. His way.
It is easy to become heavy hearted and burdened for those we love who are struggling. Often it becomes too much for our hearts to bear and we also begin to struggle along with them. This doesn't need to be our default. I admit....it can be mine. But if I believe that "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love", then I need to believe it fully and without hesitation.
1John 1:5 says "This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all." I have to keep my eyes on Jesus and His light will guide my path just where I need to go even in my despair. He is faithful to the end. My struggles need to be released to Him and allow Him to make all things new. His ways are perfect, His timing perfect, His forgiveness perfect, His love perfect and never ending. Praise God!
It all comes down to this..."Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. " Romans 8:1-2 I am free indeed!
It is abundantly clear to me that our sins are removed from our Savior's mind yet they continue to rear their ugly heads and cause us to stumble. How is it that if Almighty God himself can cast them as far as the east is from the west and choose to never revisit them that we believe it is our responsibility to keep them present? Is it our pride that won't allow us to believe that forgiveness is complete? Or is it just the lack of faith that pushes us back into the darkness of unbelief and despair?
Sin hinders our relationship with our Savior. Not just because we fail to repent, but rather that we choose to remain captive to the power it holds over our hearts. When we go to God with our sin He is faithful always to forgive it. There is nothing more He wants for and from us than a restored relationship with Him. The love He has for us is ever present...never diminished and never faltering. It is complete and full. Our love for Him however can often dwindle because of our struggle to see Him in difficulties.
Therein lies the issue of the body taking care of itself. When we are struggling with a certain area in our walk, God will send comfort and strength in ways we never expect. Sometimes that comes in the form of just sitting alone with Him and meditating on His truths. Other times it may come from a brother or sister in the Body who He sends to minister to us. Either way, God is at the heart of it all or it is useless. He knows us individually and personally and only He can supply our need. His way.
It is easy to become heavy hearted and burdened for those we love who are struggling. Often it becomes too much for our hearts to bear and we also begin to struggle along with them. This doesn't need to be our default. I admit....it can be mine. But if I believe that "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love", then I need to believe it fully and without hesitation.
1John 1:5 says "This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all." I have to keep my eyes on Jesus and His light will guide my path just where I need to go even in my despair. He is faithful to the end. My struggles need to be released to Him and allow Him to make all things new. His ways are perfect, His timing perfect, His forgiveness perfect, His love perfect and never ending. Praise God!
It all comes down to this..."Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. " Romans 8:1-2 I am free indeed!
Monday, February 15, 2016
"God never gives us more than we can bear."
...And then a mother loses her young child unexpectedly and tragically. A soldier goes off to protect and serve his country leaving behind a wife and young children. He never returns. An illness rocks the health of a mom who is the sole provider for her children and they lose their home and ultimately their chance at being together. A couple yearns for a child and spend years hoping and praying for the miracle of birth to be a part of their lives together but are brokenhearted over and over again.
God never gives us more than we can bear.
A husband watches daily as his wife and the mother of his children slips away because cancer has racked her broken body. Parents bury their only child. A teenager suddenly chooses to end his seemingly otherwise perfect life leaving everyone who knew and loved him gasping for air not knowing how they will survive their loss.
God never gives us more than we can bear.
And then everything we believed to be true suddenly seems so false and just empty words.
There are days when the struggles we find ourselves in steals our joy and takes away our ability to just breathe. It isn't because God doesn't care or isn't listening to our cries for help. He hears us. He alone can carry our burdens when we buckle under the load of pain and fear. Matthew 11:28 says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
You see - God does give us more than we can bear. Every single day. Every single hour of every single day. Every single minute and second of every single day someone in this broken world is asked to bear more than possible. But 1Corinthians 10:13 promises that "No temptation has seized you except what is common for people. But God is faithful. He won't allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it." We are never alone in our sufferings or struggles.
God alone is the solution for all that is wrong in our daily lives. We are on a journey that will ultimately bring us closer to knowing just How Great Is Our God. He feels the pain and suffering of every mother's broken heart, every husband's aching and empty life left behind, all the empty arms of grieving parents left childless. Every challenge we face in this sinful and broken world will all be made whole one day. I stand firm on that promise.
Mark 9 tells the story of a father who sought Jesus out because his son had spent his young life possessed by an unclean spirit. In his desperation he asked Jesus for compassion and help for his son if it was possible. Verse 23 says "And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible for one who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said "I believe; help my unbelief!"
This is probably where many of us are as we face the trials in our lives, some small and others seemingly insurmountable. I am choosing to seek His face and ask Him to strengthen and help my unbelief.
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
God never gives us more than we can bear.
A husband watches daily as his wife and the mother of his children slips away because cancer has racked her broken body. Parents bury their only child. A teenager suddenly chooses to end his seemingly otherwise perfect life leaving everyone who knew and loved him gasping for air not knowing how they will survive their loss.
God never gives us more than we can bear.
And then everything we believed to be true suddenly seems so false and just empty words.
There are days when the struggles we find ourselves in steals our joy and takes away our ability to just breathe. It isn't because God doesn't care or isn't listening to our cries for help. He hears us. He alone can carry our burdens when we buckle under the load of pain and fear. Matthew 11:28 says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
You see - God does give us more than we can bear. Every single day. Every single hour of every single day. Every single minute and second of every single day someone in this broken world is asked to bear more than possible. But 1Corinthians 10:13 promises that "No temptation has seized you except what is common for people. But God is faithful. He won't allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it." We are never alone in our sufferings or struggles.
God alone is the solution for all that is wrong in our daily lives. We are on a journey that will ultimately bring us closer to knowing just How Great Is Our God. He feels the pain and suffering of every mother's broken heart, every husband's aching and empty life left behind, all the empty arms of grieving parents left childless. Every challenge we face in this sinful and broken world will all be made whole one day. I stand firm on that promise.
Mark 9 tells the story of a father who sought Jesus out because his son had spent his young life possessed by an unclean spirit. In his desperation he asked Jesus for compassion and help for his son if it was possible. Verse 23 says "And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible for one who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said "I believe; help my unbelief!"
This is probably where many of us are as we face the trials in our lives, some small and others seemingly insurmountable. I am choosing to seek His face and ask Him to strengthen and help my unbelief.
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Well...He answered my prayer. Just not as I would have imagined or liked. There is definitely an end to not knowing but the end is not what I thought was even possible. My faith is shaken, my resolve wobbly but my stand is in Him. He is my Rock, my Fortress, the Everlasting God. However, I do struggle with the why. I don't think I would be human if I didn't. Answers are not necessary but certainly might add a bit of peace to the situation. They are slow to come or will never come at all and I have to just accept that and trust that He has this one and did all along.
My friend is suffering. She is downcast, angry, sad, exhausted, but most of all broken. Broken in a broken world. Her only peace comes from the One who can give us perfect peace. The hard part is that she is not ready to accept that peace because her faith also is shaken. Shaken to the core. She believes in Almighty God. She trusts Him to be faithful. She knows He is truth. But...where was He in the midst of the battle?
A long and hard fought battle that her husband lost to an angry world. He did not lose the war! He is safe in the place we all long to be. But he is not with his family. He is not with his church. He is not with those who love him. No, he is with the One who loves him unconditionally. Hard to wrap my mind around. He seemed fine here with us. There seemed to be nothing too great that he couldn't take first to His Lord and then to so many others who loved him and knew him well. Only God knows what the mind can do to our thoughts. Only God can heal that. He has healed my dear friends husband once and for all.
He is whole and no longer suffering with whatever controlled his mind on that fateful day. It is all just the past. Where it belongs! But how do we move on through this travesty? The only thing we all have is faith. Faith in the One True God who can heal the brokenhearted and give us peace once again. Not worldly peace. But the peace that comes from knowing His grace is sufficient.
Death is an ugly part of life. It is final to some. But not to Bill Hurley. He has safely arrived at his final destination. Glory! Do I understand it? No! Do I choose to believe it? Absolutely! As much as he is and will be missed during our remaining time on this earth...he is loved two fold in a place of pure joy. Therefore, I will choose to rejoice in the midst of all of the suffering in the chaos that is our world. Rejoice in the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord! Rejoice in the belief that we shall see Jesus just as He is!
Until we meet again, Bill.
In Him Always.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all of his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
THE RIGHTEOUS CRY OUT, AND THE LORD HEARS THEM;
HE DELIVERS THEM FROM ALL THEIR TROUBLES.
THE LORD IS CLOSE TO THE BROKENHEARTED
AND SAVES THOSE WHO ARE CRUSHED IN SPIRIT.
A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD DELIVERS THEM FROM THEM ALL;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34
I have read and reread this passage and must trust and believe every single word of it even in the midst of such a difficult time for my dear friend. There are no words to describe the grief that is pulsing through her and her family right now but I do know that at the center of their lives is Almighty God who will not waiver in His love for them.
There seem to be no reasons for the struggles from our perspective and no end to the suffering that they are enduring until and unless her husband returns to them unscathed and whole. In all that surrounds us while we surround them and lift them up in prayer we find that faith is all we have. It is our only hope. He is our only hope. God alone can bring hope into a hopeless situation. He is our salvation in times of fear and despair. I choose to camp in His presence and believe in His truth from Romans 8:28 "We know all that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.."
I cannot see any good in my friend's anguish. Nothing in this situation can be construed as good. There is unending suffering that causes my heart to break for them. In 2 Corinthians 1:5 we read "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." I am a part of the body of Christ because He is absolutely my Lord and Savior. In that context I am to join those who are also in the body of Christ in their sufferings just as Jesus suffered for me and let the love of Jesus flow through me to my sweet friend. Sounds so simple.
All that is in me screams frustration, fear, doubt, disgust, anguish, loss, sadness, anger, pain, resentment, confusion, panic, anxiety....and I could literally go on and on. However, Psalm 34 tells me that "He delivers them from them all". "He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit". I have to rest there and know that my God knows my friend's needs and will lift her up in her times of despair. He will be her strength and her resolve. He is her salvation!
As I write this I am reminded that God is always in control. He knows every detail of every situation and holds us all in the palm of His hand. His love for us is unfailing and undeniable. I need to only "Taste and see that the Lord is Good".
his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all of his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
THE RIGHTEOUS CRY OUT, AND THE LORD HEARS THEM;
HE DELIVERS THEM FROM ALL THEIR TROUBLES.
THE LORD IS CLOSE TO THE BROKENHEARTED
AND SAVES THOSE WHO ARE CRUSHED IN SPIRIT.
A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD DELIVERS THEM FROM THEM ALL;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34
I have read and reread this passage and must trust and believe every single word of it even in the midst of such a difficult time for my dear friend. There are no words to describe the grief that is pulsing through her and her family right now but I do know that at the center of their lives is Almighty God who will not waiver in His love for them.
There seem to be no reasons for the struggles from our perspective and no end to the suffering that they are enduring until and unless her husband returns to them unscathed and whole. In all that surrounds us while we surround them and lift them up in prayer we find that faith is all we have. It is our only hope. He is our only hope. God alone can bring hope into a hopeless situation. He is our salvation in times of fear and despair. I choose to camp in His presence and believe in His truth from Romans 8:28 "We know all that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.."
I cannot see any good in my friend's anguish. Nothing in this situation can be construed as good. There is unending suffering that causes my heart to break for them. In 2 Corinthians 1:5 we read "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." I am a part of the body of Christ because He is absolutely my Lord and Savior. In that context I am to join those who are also in the body of Christ in their sufferings just as Jesus suffered for me and let the love of Jesus flow through me to my sweet friend. Sounds so simple.
All that is in me screams frustration, fear, doubt, disgust, anguish, loss, sadness, anger, pain, resentment, confusion, panic, anxiety....and I could literally go on and on. However, Psalm 34 tells me that "He delivers them from them all". "He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit". I have to rest there and know that my God knows my friend's needs and will lift her up in her times of despair. He will be her strength and her resolve. He is her salvation!
As I write this I am reminded that God is always in control. He knows every detail of every situation and holds us all in the palm of His hand. His love for us is unfailing and undeniable. I need to only "Taste and see that the Lord is Good".
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