Pointless grief?

 

As I write I am looking out the window of my home, across a beautiful landscape. I enjoyed a good night’s rest in a comfortable bed. My cupboard is stocked with plenty, my bank account has enough for my needs and more. God has given me great kids whose lives are a delight to their Dad. I am surrounded by love and friends, and yet … in random moments the tears fall. Loss and death have come to me as they do to us all.   

There are passages of Scripture that long ago seemed like beautiful poetry describing the experience of someone else, but now I read them as my prayers. "My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you." (Psalm 42:3-6, NIV)  With great hope I cry out, "Restore our fortunes, O LORD… Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." (Psalm 126:4-5, NIV)

No, what I know is not despair.  I am filled with hope. But, I have felt deep sorrow, the ache of loss that is never far from my heart. I this I have come to know – Grief is not pointless!  God can use it to shape us, to form the character of Christ in us, and to make us tender.  I empathize with the pain of those with broken hearts far better than I did 20 years ago.  My heart can feel the pain of those who are refugees, those who live with abuse, those who suffer.  This broken world is full of suffering.  The Genesis story of the Fall reminds us that evil is real, not imagined. In Adam, all die!  Sin lurks in the corners of our heart, causing us to act in ways that bring pain to others, sometimes even without our being conscious of the consequences of our choices. There is a Destroyer who schemes against the creation of God, who he hates.

But, I know that God sent His Son Jesus to save us- from our sins and from the destiny of destruction.  In that salvation there is a wonderful, wonderful promise. Yes, when His kingdom comes, tears will dry. When the struggle’s over, God will draw us close and dry our tears!  John heard the promise of God recording it for us in the Revelation:  "I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:3-5, NIV)

Are you crying?
Is your heart broken?

Don’t rush about trying to hide from the pain in activity. Don’t try to numb your soul by turning up the music, buying more things you do not need, or burying yourself in pleasure. Those things are no balm for the soul. Instead, wait on God.

Let tears flow.
Accept the love of friend and family, even from those who repeat words that grate on you, even from those who have never hurt in the way that you do.
Pray for protection from cynicism that turns people into ugly, self-absorbed, and mean being!
Pray for healing, trusting God to turn your wound into a scar that is a reminder of His formation of grace in you.

Suffering can, if we allow it, make us into beautiful people; full of grace, tender, and with an other-worldly grip on eternity.

Gordon Jensen wrote a song with this memorable line, “God weeps along with man and takes him by the hand, tears are a language God understands.” 

The word from the Word today is a prayer song, a Psalm of David.

"Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress.
My sight is blurred because of my tears.
My body and soul are withering away.
I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness.
Misery has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within." (Psalm 31:9-10, NLT)

"But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!”
My future is in your hands.
Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.
Let your favor shine on your servant.
In your unfailing love, save me." (Psalm 31:14-16, NLT)  Amen

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Tears Are A Language

Often you've wondered why

Tears come into your eyes

And burdens seem to be

Much more than you can stand

But God is standing near

He sees your falling tears

Tears are a language God understands

 

When grief has left you low

It causes tears to flow

Things have not turned out

The way that you had planned

But God won't forget you

His promises are true

Tears are a language God understands

 

God sees the tears

Of a broken hearted soul

He sees your tears

And hears them when they fall

God weeps along with man

And takes him by the hand

Tears are a language

God understands

 

Gordon Jensen

© 1971 Jensen Music (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc., 741 Cool Springs Blvd., Franklin TN 37067)

CCLI License # 810055

 

The fertile soil of Doubt

An old story tells about a man who walked a tightrope over Niagara Falls. The crowds who watched cheered him on. He pushed a wheelbarrow up to the rope and asked, “Who believes I can push this across the rope?” Of course the crowd shouted enthusiastically. Then he put their ‘faith’ to the test. “Who wants to get into the wheelbarrow?”  I have no idea if that story is true, but it surely illustrates the nature of real faith.

Growing Christians who choose to live ‘in faith’ will actually be at greater risk of the possibility of doubt. “Faith” is easy when there is nothing at stake, when we remain in the place of the common, the safe, and the tested. Real faith goes to work when we are involved with the impossible, the impractical-  ‘walking in the Spirit.’

Do you ever question your faith? Doubt is fairly common among thinking people, even devout Christians! Days come when God is eclipsed by the urgent, the disappointing, the exciting, even the ordinary routines of living. When we listen to a pastor preach with conviction, we might begin to think that if we were a ‘better Christian’ every question would be answered, all of our doubts gone. Nice idea, but it’s not true. 

The very father of the faithful, Abraham, struggled with doubt! God had promised to give him a legacy, to bless the whole world through him. But, Sarah and he were growing old, past the time of child-bearing. He wonders aloud - “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since I don’t have a son, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. ³ You have given me no children, so one of my servants will have to be my heir.” Genesis 15:2-3 (NLT)

Paul wondered if God was going to bring him through a rough time. "We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.”  Doesn’t that sound like a moment of doubt? He continues  “In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead." (2 Corinthians 1:8-9, NLT)

Faith needs to grow and overcome our doubts but doubt is not necessarily a bad thing.  Honest questions, asked in real humility, will give us an examined faith, one rooted in conviction, not just we learned from others. The late Tim Keller says that “a faith without some doubt is like a human body without any antibodies in it.  People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart skeptic.”  (Reason for God, Riverhead, 2008) 

I love that analogy to antibodies. We can live without them, but we are much more resistant to sickness because of them.  Each time our bodies fight off some virus, we gain strength for the next assault.

Doubts are disturbing! But, they also can help us to clarify our beliefs which, in turn, deepens our ability to trust God. Doubt and faith need not be adversaries. When we grow troubled it is critically important to respond by recognizing our limitations of knowledge, insight, and judgment. If we demand iron-clad proofs, if we insist that we must see, touch, smell, or hear; then doubt will become destructive. 

If we will accept that many things are beyond the limits of our own understanding, (the mystery of faith) then we can come to a place where we are prepared to discard doubt and choose to trust God.  Doubt can be excruciating painful, so much so that we will struggle to make it stop NOW.  However, if we set aside the struggle, the inquiry, the pursuit of God too soon we will not gain greater faith.

In my life, doubt is ultimately defeated by building from the broad issues of faith to the more defined ones.  The existence of God is not a question for me. The balance of evidence pointed to a Supreme Being, a Creator.  Examination of the evidence and Scripture brought me to the choice to trust that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this world to reveal His grace and Himself to us.  That is why I am a Christian. Learning of the way of life He taught and seeing how genuine discipleship brought such benefit to this world, I chose to respond to His offer of grace and follow Him as a disciple. Do you see the pattern?

John closes his Gospel, which is a long argument for Christian faith, with a story of doubt overcome.  As you read it, take note that Jesus did not condemn the doubter. Instead, he invited him to examine the evidence and make a choice!

"Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:27-31, NIV)

Are you doubting?  Keep it honest. Ask the questions, not as accusations but as real inquiries.

Allow for mystery as you ponder, wonder, and wait.  Be a good student of the world, the Scripture, and yourself.  And, listen for the Spirit’s invitation to faith.

Here is the word from the Word for today - "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see." (Hebrews 11:1, NLT) "So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." (Hebrews 11:6, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Goodness Of God

I love You Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days
I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
I will sing of the goodness of God

All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest night
You are close like no other
I've known You as a father
I've known You as a friend
I have lived in the goodness of God

 

Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me
With my life laid down
I’m surrendered now
I give You everything
Your goodness is running after
It's running after me

 

Ben Fielding | Brian Johnson | Ed Cash | Jason Ingram | Jenn Johnson

© 2018 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

SHOUT! Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

 

 

Don’t Go Alone!

 

 

Life is complex, options many, situations sometimes confusing.  Several weeks ago, a friend who was dealing with bureaucracy asked me to help him. “Pastor Jerry, could you help me, make a phone call, find a way?”  We sat down together and sorted through the process. I made a couple of phone calls on his behalf.  The situation was resolved because I was his advocate!  From time to time, we will all need someone who can stand with us, who knows the way, who can see more clearly.

This Monday I want to look, with you, at a promise of the Scripture that tells us we need not do life bravely on our own. There an Advocate who stands with us, who makes our case in the very Presence of God! As He was preparing to leave the disciples, Jesus said – “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, (Advocate) who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now.” John 14:16-17 (NLT)

When we need wisdom – there is an Advocate! James advises us  “If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you.” (James 1.5)  Yes, the Holy Spirit will make God’s will known to us, guiding us, IF we will ask and then let Him lead.

When we need peace – there is an Advocate!  One of the names given to the Spirit is “Comforter.”  In Him, we can find a wonderful peace. Countless times over the years when the pressures and problems of life have awakened me in the small hours of the morning, I have taken those things to my Comforter, praying for His peace. Paul counsels us to “tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.” (Philippians 4.7)

When we need strength – there is an Advocate!  Those who were working to rebuild Jerusalem many centuries ago found that they were exhausted, worn out by opposition. God spoke to them (and to us) to remind them that “it is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6)  Lean on Him. He will give strength for this day, abilities to you that you cannot even begin to imagine.

When we need forgiveness – there is an Advocate! We fail. We sin. We fall short of our aspiration and God’s will. (Well, I admit that I do! How about you?) In those times, we need not wallow in guilt, slink around in shame, or creep fearfully into prayer. We have an Advocate before God, One who speaks on our behalf, Who responds to our confession with mercy and grace. He gains right standing with God for us, doing through His grace, what we cannot hope to do for ourselves. Our confidence comes from Who we know, not from what we have done.

So, today, let’s not go it alone. “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10) receiving wisdom, peace, strength, and reconciliation because our Advocate.

The word from the Word is a blessing that is one of my beloved passages from the Bible. Let the truth wash over you today. "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:16-21, NIV)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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I Am Not Alone

When I walk through deep waters
I know that You will be with me
When I'm standing in the fire
I will not be overcome
Through the valley of the shadow
I will not fear

 

I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me

 

In the midst of deep sorrow
I see Your light is breaking through
The dark of night will not overtake me
I am pressing into You
Lord You fight my ev'ry battle
And I will not fear

 

You amaze me redeem me
You call me as Your own
You amaze me redeem me
You call me as Your own

You're my strength You're my defender
You're my refuge in the storm
Through these trials You've always been faithful
You bring healing to my soul

 

Austin Davis | Ben Davis | Dustin Sauder | Grant Pittman | Kari Jobe | Marty Sampson | Mia Fieldes

© Kari Jobe Carnes Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Worship Together Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Be Essential Songs (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)

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