After Affliction…
“I know, O Lord, that Your judgements are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your word to Your servant. Let Your tender mercies come to me that I may live; For Your law is my delight.”
Psalm 119:75-77
After the terror or grief of free falling over that “ledge of affliction,” the tender waves of God’s mercy cleanse and comfort like nothing else can. I don’t pretend to enjoy pain, sorrow, confusion, or despair, but I do marvel in seeing how God’s love shines out brightest as our world grows dark, our spirits dim. When in our desperate need we drop to our knees and wail longingly into the night, hearing nothing at first but our anguished soul reverberating back to us. A sad, sick boomerang of our broken heart. Yet, the passage of time cascades like a waterfall of His healing rivers, rushing and swirling down, the mist spraying up, eventually settling into more serene pools, still fluid, but less turbulent. The surface settles and we see again with the clarity of renewed hope.
With affliction comes a realization - we can’t do this on our own! We need God. When trials come… seek God and then, set your eyes on Christ and His word, not just on your life’s present circumstances. Pray and obey. No matter how long the road, how hidden the path. Don’t stop. Crawl on your hands and knees at a snail’s pace if you must, but keep going towards Him and His will (even when you have no clue where it’s headed). When your soul sinks or you burn with anger or sorrow chokes your very will to live… remember. Remember that God is the creator of the universe. He made you. You are not an accident. You are not a mistake. You are not an afterthought. He knit you together in your mother’s womb (Isaiah 44:2) and He numbers the very hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30). He loves you! He has a plan and purpose for your life. There is nobody else like you. And all the pain, all the turmoil, all the heartache leads you back to Him. To fall into His arms, to be gathered unto Him, embraced in His perfect will. After affliction comes ~ faith, hope, and love endure!
Melody – my dear sister. I have missed you.
Thank you for this truthful message of hope.
God, you reign. Forever and ever.
The husband of a dear friend of mine is in the hospital at this writing, having suffered a massive heart attack. He is 41 years old, wiry and thin, and in excellent physical condition. She called last night and sobbed, “I can’t feel the Lord’s presence.” Well, of course she can’t. During the pain of affliction we walk forward in what we know, not in what we are able to feel. Our human emotions are too noisy, the agony of our own hearts’ cries shout down God’s voice. But right at the center of our being in that place where we live and move and have our being, we know that we know that we know–He is. He lives. We are His. “And all the pain, all the turmoil, all the heartache leads you back to him…” because He was never gone. Our God is with us–He will never leave us or forsake us. Praise His Holy Name!
so there i was thinking, “I wonder how Melody is doing?” And then, my Google reader surprises me with this little gem. Glad to have you back.
Great post Mel, really moving. Too many times people do the opposite of what we should be doing when affliction strikes us. I have been guilty countless times of it myself. We withdraw from the Lord and try to do things on our own when we should be turning to Him and allowing Him to guide us through the rough times in our lives. You are right, as usual, whe you say that we can’t do this on our own. We do need Christ and His guidance. Thanks for the message.