Category Archives: Sorrow, Grief & Regrets

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 29, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, God's Plan, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Trusting God

WHY ASK “WHY?”

I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord! [Job 1:21 (NLT)]

So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny. [Job 23:14 (NLT)]

6-29-15jobDSC01010web
Life rapidly went from bad to worse for Job, a prosperous farmer who lost absolutely everything dear to him. In a matter of a few days, Job’s world was turned upside down. His flock of sheep were destroyed, his livestock stolen, his farmhands killed, and his children all died. As if the emotional pain from losing both his family and wealth wasn’t enough, Job became afflicted with boils, causing him terrible physical pain as well.

Job’s greatest torment, however, wasn’t physical or emotional; it was intellectual. He simply couldn’t understand the reason why such horrible events had occurred. In his anguish, he asked why God had turned away from him. Why was he being treated as a God’s enemy? Job, a good man, was positive that he’d done nothing wrong so his suffering couldn’t be punishment for any sins. Why then did he have to endure such woes? Even though he couldn’t understand the why of his misery, however, Job never lost his faith in God. He finally comprehended, as we all must at some point in our lives, that there will never be a satisfactory explanation for suffering and agony; our business is not to ask but to accept. Job finally asked God to forgive him for the questioning of His will. Even without knowing a reason for the tragedies of his life, the faithful Job managed to say, “Praise the name of the Lord!”

Like Job, when tragedy occurs in our lives or even in the lives of others, we feel there needs to be a reason that we can comprehend. Why we keep asking “why?” is beyond me; there is never anything close to an acceptable explanation for the tragedies of this life. We’re simply not ever going to know “why” on this side of eternity. It is a test of our faith to trust in the life a good and loving God has given to us and rather than just to trust in a life that is good. Rather than having faith in God because of what He does for us and the blessings he bestows on us, we need to have faith in God simply because of who He is and what Christ did for us on the cross. God’s plans for us are good ones and that is all we really need to know.

You, child of God, sometimes say, “What can be the design of this cross? What can be meant by that bereavement? Why am I perplexed by this dilemma? Why is this difficulty piled like a barricade across my path?” Well, you know not now, but you shall know hereafter; meanwhile, settle it firmly in your faith that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) [Charles Spurgeon]

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? [Job 2:10 ((NLT)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 9, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, God's Grace & Love, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Temptation & Sin

FALLING DOWN

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. [Romans 3:23 (NLT)]

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. [1 Corinthians 10:12a (NLT)]

Thrilled to finally get back on my bike after several weeks of prescribed inactivity, I was cruising along and in the zone. Suddenly, I looked up to see a person walking toward me, head down and ear phones on. Thinking I was reaching for my bell to warn of my approach, I ended up braking—hard. The next thing I knew, my bike and I were sprawled out in the muddy gutter. I had been having so much fun on the bike that my brain had simply gone on vacation.

Muddy, battered and bruised, I sat on a rock and nursed my wounds. I compared my morning’s tumble with the many times we fall into sin. When we stop paying attention to our surroundings, it’s easy to end up in a spiritual gutter. Even though we’ve been warned to stay alert for the enemy, we just barrel along, enjoying ourselves, “doing our thing,” and not noticing life’s hidden hazards. If we’re not watching for temptation, we’re taken by surprise when it comes our way. Before we know what happened, we fall and end up in sin’s sewer. I wanted to blame my fall on the walker but I had only myself to blame—I should have been paying attention. It’s that way when we sin; like Adam, we want to blame someone else, but we’re the only ones responsible for our actions.

Sitting there, bleeding and filthy, several people stopped to ask if I needed help; they were truly good Samaritans. Because I’d already asked my husband to come get me with the car, I thanked them and sent them on their way. The last time I had a bad fall, I wasn’t so smart. Insisting I was fine after a tumble down a ski run, I refused any assistance. Unfortunately, I’d broken ribs and torn ligaments in my knee and deciding to ski to the bottom was both prideful and foolhardy. This time, at least, I knew enough to admit I was hurt. When sin has knocked us down, it’s difficult to acknowledge that we’re in trouble and need help. We don’t want to concede that we’ve screwed up. While there may not be someone offering a helping hand, God is always there for us no matter how far we’ve fallen nor how dirty we’ve gotten. The problem for most of us, however, is admitting that we’ve fallen into a mess that we can’t clean up on our own.

Looking back on the morning’s misadventure, I’m incredibly thankful. The consequences of my fall are just some sore muscles and a nasty case of road rash. No car happened along as I went sprawling out into the road and, other than my bike’s bell, nothing is broken. We rarely get off that easy when we sin; sin’s consequences can be extremely painful and even fatal.

Once safely home, I got angry with myself. Our day’s plans were spoiled because of my stupidity. But my tears were not going to get me a do-over on the morning’s ride; the damage was done. When we’ve sinned, we also tend to beat ourselves up with guilt and remorse long after we’ve confessed and been forgiven. As far as God is concerned, however, our sins are over, done with, and gone; it needs to be that way for us as well. We should learn from our mistakes but must be willing to let go of the replays and shame. As for me, I’m sorer but wiser! And, if it’s all the same to you, God, could the inspiration for tomorrow’s devotion not involve blood and bruises?

Satan is the master distracter. He is always working to keep us off track in our walk with God. [Joyce Meyer]

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. [1 Peter 5:8a (NLT)]

The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin. [Proverbs 11:5 (NLT)]

 

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 5, 2015

Posted under

Challenges & Difficulty, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Joy, Prayer, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Worry

IN THE DARKNESS

Be full of joy always because you belong to the Lord. Again I say, be full of joy! [Philippians 4:4 (NLV)]

Hear my prayer, O Lord! Let my cry for help come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble. Turn Your ear to me. Hurry to answer me in the day when I call. For my days go up in smoke. And my bones are burned as with fire. My heart is crushed and dried like grass. And I forget to eat my food. I am nothing but skin and bones because of my loud cries. I am like a pelican in the desert. I am like an owl of the waste places. I lie awake. And I feel like a bird alone on the roof. [Psalm 102:1-7 (NLV)]

moon-ACLwebI woke at 2:00 AM and limped to the bathroom for some Advil for my aching foot. Returning to bed, I knew my foot would feel better, if not that night then surely in the near future. God willing, I’ll be back to power walking within a few months. But, as I lay there, I wondered how many people were also awake and hurting that night, but hurting in a way that couldn’t be helped by a few ibuprofen. How many people see no end in sight for their pain and anguish?

Why such dark thoughts in the middle of the night? At Bible study earlier that evening, several people had asked for prayers for loved ones suffering from depression and, as often happens when serious depression is discussed, the topic of suicide also arose. While we’ve all been sad, depression is far more than just a bad case of the blues. Depression is when that sadness becomes so persistent that it interferes with everyday activities and adversely affects someone’s life. A complex illness, it has many contributing factors including grief, genetics, medications, illness, a history of being abused, and personal problems. I’ve watched family and friends suffer from serious depression and mental illness, some to the point of hospitalization, and I imagine they might describe it as a living hell.

Since we’re told to live lives of praise and joy, I don’t think God wants us to live a life of despair and agony. Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world and both mental and physical afflictions are part of it. We may not find the word “depression” in the Bible but anguish and despair can be found throughout its pages. I think Job was depressed and, at some time or another, so were David, Hannah, Jeremiah, and Elijah. Their depression didn’t mean they’d lost their faith any more than having cancer or diabetes means we’ve lost ours. Accepting Christ doesn’t mean we get a vaccination making us immune to any illness, least of all depression.

Lying in bed that night, I knew there is little any of us can do to alleviate the anguish of the mentally ill. We can, however, support Christian mental health services, be compassionate and supportive to both the ill and their families, and offer our heartfelt prayers.

Father in Heaven, I cannot begin to fathom the agony suffered by the mentally ill and the distress their illness brings to their loved ones. Protect them from the pitfalls, like addiction or homelessness, that so often accompany mental illness. Reassure them of your presence, lift their hearts, and guide them to healers so they can get the support and treatment they so desperately need. Give them the gift of hope and peace and restore them to health. Fill the hearts of their families with love, empathy, patience and understanding and help them to trust in your power and might.

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I plan what to do in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will those who hate me rise above me? … But I have trusted in Your loving-kindness. My heart will be full of joy because You will save me. I will sing to the Lord, because He has been good to me. [Psalm 13:1-2,5-6 (NLV)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

May 8, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Plan, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Today: Make it Count

SEIZE THE DAY

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. [James 4:13-14 (MSG)]

My wife was dead. All those things we were going to do together were now impossible. We had spent a lifetime working toward that distant goal, making promises to ourselves that now we would never fulfill. Sure, it’s important to plan for the future, but think about this: You’ve had the gift of yesterday, and you are living today with its choices and opportunities, but who knows if you will have tomorrow? You’ve heard it time and time again, but I will tell you – and I know it’s true, because the painful lesson is etched into my yesterday – no one has a guarantee of tomorrow. That’s why it is so important today to tell our spouses and loved ones what they mean to us. [From “Hiking Through” by Paul Stutzman]

5-8-15seizewebThe day I started reading Paul Stutzman’s book Hiking Through, about his journey on the Appalachian Trail, was the same day I learned that a friend’s wife has conceded defeat in her war against cancer. Having recently received the last rites, her remaining time is measured in just days and hours. What struck me is the similarity between both men’s situations. Like my friend’s wife, after a long and painful struggle, Stutzman’s spouse lost her battle with cancer. Both couples had persisted through their difficult yesterdays: the financial and professional struggles of the early years and the stress of raising children. They were approaching what I think of as the “wonder” years: those blessed years when careers are secure, the children are capable young adults, money is no longer scarce, health is still good, and there are time and funds enough for travel. Those highly anticipated carefree and joy-filled tomorrows will never happen for either couple.

Having lost my parents in their prime (my mother was only forty-seven and my father just fifty-six), I’ve always had an awareness of life’s brevity. That doesn’t mean I don’t waste precious moments of every today by reliving my yesterdays or anticipating my hoped for tomorrows. May these men’s experiences remind us all that we must take delight in every precious today granted to us. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon makes the point that there is a right time for each activity in life. It is, however, always the right time to praise God for the blessings of the day. Moreover, there is never a wrong time to tell those we love how much we care for them and how precious they are to us.

There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:
A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace. [Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (MSG)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

April 7, 2015

Posted under

Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Fear & Doubt, God's Promises, Holidays & Holy Days, Knowing Him, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets

WILL WE RECOGNIZE HIM?

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. [John 1:10 (NLT)]

?????????????????????????????The Gospel of John tells us that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early that Sunday morning only to find it empty. Puzzled, upset, and thinking that someone had stolen the body of Jesus, she started to weep. When she saw a man, thinking he was the gardener, she asked what had been done with Jesus. It wasn’t until He spoke to her that she recognized the Lord.

Luke tells how, that same day, while walking to Emmaus, two of Jesus’ followers were talking about the crucifixion and the week’s events. Frightened and disturbed by the confusing news, a man joined them as they walked. The two, preoccupied with their sadness and disappointment, failed to recognize Him. It was not until Jesus sat down with them, broke bread and blessed it, that they finally recognized their Lord.

These men and Mary Magdalene were Jesus’ followers, yet they failed to recognize him at first. Were they so blinded by their grief or so focused on their disappointment that they couldn’t see their Savior? Were they so preoccupied by their troubles that they failed to see their solution in Jesus? Did they miss seeing Jesus simply because they weren’t looking for him? Was it because, in spite of Jesus’ promises, they weren’t even expecting him?

If we ever hope to experience Jesus’ power and hope, we must remember to look for him when we are grieving, disappointed or troubled. I wonder how many times I have seen Jesus and failed to recognize him, never realizing He was right beside me all of the time.

If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. [Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

February 3, 2015

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Joy, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Today: Make it Count

CONTENTMENT OR NOT: THE CHOICE IS OURS

bindweed (hedge)-ACL04WEBI don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me. [Philippians 4:11-13 (HCSB)]

How often do we sigh, “If only …” (fill in the blank) followed by the phrase, “then I’d be happy”? That attitude only fosters a spirit of discontent. If we’re busy waiting for something special in the future, we miss out on the joys of today. We have 86,400 seconds to spend today; we won’t have them tomorrow and any we squandered yesterday in regret or dissatisfaction can’t be salvaged. Let’s not waste a single moment today!

Heavenly Father, while we’re looking forward to tomorrow‘s blessings, help us find happiness and contentment in our present circumstances. Instead of lamenting the past or dreaming about something different in the future, show us how to joyfully accept our lives as they are now.

Single days experienced fully add up to a lifetime lived deeply and well. Today is your life – not yesterday and not tomorrow. If we have tomorrow, it will be a gift, but what we have today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows. [From “Living a Beautiful Life” by Alexandra Stoddard]

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (HCSB)]