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Dear Friends,
How many times have you come to a point where
encouragement seems to be so elusive you don’t really want to eat
or sleep? These are times of bitterness of soul, times when your
heart is very sad and so fretful, times that can only be relieved
by the supernatural work of God?
These times can produce an exceedingly sorrowful
heart. This kind of severe sorrow may come from godly desires that
are unfulfilled. During these times you may have many other good
things, but they just don’t scratch the itch you have.
We are not talking about the whimsical desires
of a worldly, selfish, materialistic Christian, but about the
devoted believer who has not received personally what God has said
in the Bible He is willing to do for His people. You want to see
God’s promised, or at least available, provision given to you too.
Although we may, in a limited and biblical way, include material
provision in this, we are NOT talking about simply more stuff.
We are referring to the pain that comes from a
married couple that desperately wants children but cannot have
them. We are thinking about parents whose children, whatever the
age, are not walking with the living God breaking the hearts of
those who love them. We are speaking of those with family members
who are defiant and resistant to the loving work of God in
salvation or chastening to obedience causing great sorrow. In our
minds are those who burden our hearts by turning their backs on
God, His people the church, and His Word and work; all the while
thinking and saying the consequence is small or non-existent. We
have the pain of churches that have disobedient and rebellious
members breaking the hearts of the rest of the body. There are
families so struggling to pay the bills because of catastrophe of
some kind. There is the person sick and maybe dying with cancer
that longs for more time to serve the living God. We are pondering
the pain of living under the curse of sin, just waiting for God to
step in and relieve. Have you known that kind of sorrow?
Is it possible to soothe this kind of sorrowing
heart? Should it be soothed? Is there another option besides
mustering up more gratitude and continuing to suffer?
Consider Hannah the mother of the Prophet
Samuel. She would say yes! She was one of Elkanah’s two wives. Her
rival had children and flaunted it-but Hannah had none.
She yielded herself to God…in the pain and
sorrow. She didn’t hide it or minimize it. She was not quiet about
her complaint, she told her husband, and it is recorded in the
pages of the eternal Word of God for all to see. But we never hear
her blaming God whispering and muttering under her breath against
Him; instead we hear her whisper in a wordless, heartfelt, “pour
out your soul to God” prayer to the one who could do something
about it. A prayer that was silent, yet so passionate that the
priest who happened to observe thought she was drunk and rebuked
her.
“Why are you telling me to pray? I already know
that!” I can hear someone saying with the ears of my mind. The
answer is simple yet not trite. This sorrowing mother, in her
grief, trusted God enough to passionately pour out her complaint
and desire to Him-and then leave it there. But I want you to see
why I want to remind you to pray that way.
I Samuel 1:18b “So the woman went her way,
and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.”
Let’s keep praying and be encouraged…together.
Pastor Bruce Seivers
Valley Chapel Community Church
Fairfield, OH
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