The sorrows of Hell have compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. I cried!
Very few have dared to look at the horrors of another heart, let alone their own. Are we willing to look into the nightmares left in the heart of one that has faced war, whether soldier or civilian? Will we look until tears roll down our cheeks at the horrendous memories of one scarred by gang related incidents or abusive family environments? Do we want to even begin to sense the horrors of the chemically imbalanced or those controlled by chemically induced mental torture? The fears brought on by potential impending doom or national unrest have ravaged a fearful generation so that they barely can maintain their own sanity. Where is God's promises in the midst of the moments of peril? Where is our heart to go when our lives are truly torn to pieces, and our faith disemboweled?
I watched her months ago as she just wanted to dance ... now all she wants to do is go home even though she is home. Safety is a confusing memory. All she wants is to be held, but she can't even figure out who is holding her and tears begin to flow. She can't put any of the pieces together, because there are so many missing. Why does life have to funnel down to this in the lives of some? It seems to be almost random, and “faith” does not appear to be a guaranty for those looking on.
Years ago I saw them fighting to stay together. Then their lives went behind closed doors only to reappear as a relationship in peril. Love has been replaced with suspicion and fearful apprehension of “its over”. Trust has been vanquished to the land of no return and the fury of love is growing dark and cold giving over to the insidious imps of Hell's hopelessness.
Those closest to heart breaking situations so desperately need of vision of God's unseen rescue, they need to “know” He cares. They need to know that to cry is to hear Him say “Here I am!”
Genesis 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him ... 17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
God's promises transcend generations, time, incidents, interruptions, catastrophes, plans of men, fears of men, disappointments, intentions, temporal solutions, and anything that would appear to hinder God coming to you or you coming to Him. Read Genesis 15 and see that when God gives proof of his promise to Abraham, Abraham tries to “put the the pieces together”. No sooner does the sun go down and darkness sets in with all of its shadows ... faith flees, horror sets in. NOTE: This does not discourage the proof of God's promise ... the furnace of his faithfulness and the lamp of His truth burns brightly as it passes through the pieces that Abraham tried to put together. There are so many “Theological” ramifications of this passage, but to look no further than the event may help our vision ... hang on to this: God will bring proof of His promises in our darkest hours of fear and trembling ... He will burn in the midst of our best laid failures ... and He will see us through as we see Him in the darkness. Tremble, He is near.
Don't close your eyes ... stare into the darkness of disappointment ... look for His answer, He longs to meet you there. Joshua 1:9 (you gotta look it up if you don't have it memorized).
HLFA,
Jeff