There are days when questions arise and doubts pound away like
the incessant clamor of a jackhammer in the street. I wonder, “Have I done the
right thing? Did I make a fatal mistake?” The tension causes my body to ache. When I go to prayer to find relief, I would
like to say that I always sense God near.
That is not true. Oh, I know He’s
there, but the soul storm makes it hard for me to sense His Presence. Why do these difficult times come? It can be physical exhaustion or
disappointment with life that kicks up the dust. It can be willful disobedience
that grieves the Spirit, who withdraws His Presence. It can be too many
challenges unmatched by taking time to rest.
It can be God leading us through a time of testing! Or, the cause may
remain a mystery.
Job endured terrible anguish of the soul and we learn from the
Scripture that God allowed it! In the depth of his suffering he said, “I’m given a life that meanders and goes
nowhere— months of aimlessness, nights of misery! I go to bed and think, ‘How long till I can
get up?’ I toss and turn as the night
drags on—and I’m fed up!” (The
Message, Job 7:3-4)
Elijah won a great victory for the Lord on Mount Carmel when
God sent fire from Heaven and demonstrated His glory to all Israel. In the
weeks that followed that amazing experience, the prophet fell into a terrible
depression, fled to the desert, and asked God to let him die! “He came to a lone broom bush and collapsed
in its shade, wanting in the worst way to be done with it all—to just die:
“Enough of this, God! Take my life—I’m ready to join my ancestors in the
grave!” (1 Kings 19:4).
David walked in the dark, too, but as a result of his own
sin. He said, “ Let me hear joy and
gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice … Do not cast me from your
presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your
salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." (Psalm 51:8, 11-12,
NIV)
Jesus was in anguish on the night before He went to the
Cross. He anticipated bearing the sins
of the world, the coming separation from His Father, and it tore Him to pieces.
He sweat drops of blood, begged His friends to stand with Him, and even prayed,
“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is
possible for you. Take this cup from me." (Mark 14:36, NIV)
With such company walking before us in the ‘dark night of the soul’ (St. John of the
Cross, 16th century) we realize that our plight is not so
uncommon. These crises of the spirit
come to saint and sinner, young and old, rich and poor alike. So what can we do?
Patiently wait out the storm!
There is a Psalm that every disciple should commit to memory. God’s wisdom comes through each word, not
with an instant release from the ache, nor with a promise of immediate comfort.
Rather, He calls on us to steady ourselves until the storm blows over.
"Trust in the
LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in
the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the
LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine
like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before
the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their
ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn
from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land." (Psalm 37:3-9,
NIV) We are tempted to rage against God
and man in our frustration. We are often
tempted to seek some relief. The Lord tells us quiet down and wait; yes, to
patiently let His Spirit work. Sometimes
He changes me; sometimes He changes my
circumstances; and sometimes He just lets the storm blow over!
Jacob wrestled through night with an angel, perhaps even a
Pre-incarnate appearance of Christ Himself.
We know few details of that
fateful encounter, except that it left him a transformed man, with a new name
that reflected his triumph. “Your
name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God
and with men and have overcome.” (Genesis 32:28, NIV) Israel means “God wins!”
Are you struggling, wrestling with doubt, disappointment,
fear, or temptation? Don’t quit. Don’t take a shortcut to relief. “Wait
patiently!” Here’s the word from the
Word. "And the one sitting on the
throne said, “Look, I am making all things new!” And then he said to me, “Write
this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It
is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who
are thirsty I will give the springs of the water of life without charge! All
who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God,
and they will be my children." (Revelation 21:5-7, NLT)
_______________
The Solid Rock
My hope is built on
nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and
righteousness
I dare not trust the
sweetest frame
But wholly lean on
Jesus' name
When darkness veils
His lovely face
I rest on His
unchanging grace
In every high and
stormy gale
My anchor holds within
the veil
His oath His covenant
His blood
Support me in the
whelming flood
When all around my
soul gives way
He then is all my hope
and stay
When He shall come
with trumpet sound
O may I then in Him be
found
Dressed in His
righteousness alone
Faultless to stand
before the throne
On Christ the solid
Rock I stand
All other ground is
sinking sand
All other ground is
sinking sand
Edward Mote | William Batchelder Bradbury
Public Domain
No comments:
Post a Comment