7 "Will the Lord reject forever
and never again show favor?
8 Has His faithful love ceased forever?
Is [His] promise at an end for all generations?
Has He in anger withheld His compassion?"
Psalm 77
I think we all ask questions like these at various times in our lives. When you find out that two people who are closely connected to you are battling cancer, and they're both in their twenties. When you can't quite discern the will of God, and it frustrates you more than anything. When the state and condition of the world seems so utterly depressing that you wonder what difference you could ever make. When evil seems to take the upper hand.
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Of course, the answer is a resounding, rhetorical, "NO!" But so often the hairy details of life are much more evident to us than the gracious hand of God. (like the long black neck hair on a pretty girl!) Too often our limited perspective clouds the full reality of what lies beyond what we cannot see (i.e. the simple fact that my family and I made it home safely tonight in our SUV driving home from CharlotteONE through torrential downpours and psychotic Charlotte drivers).
I'm thankful that Asaph, the psalmist, doesn't leave us hanging with those verses that offer little hope for our human situation and predicament. He actually leaves us with quite a bit to hang our hats on:
11 I will remember the LORD's works;
yes, I will remember Your ancient wonders.
12 I will reflect on all You have done
and meditate on Your actions.
Here it is: Remember what God has done in the past!
Remember His ancient wonders. Meditate on His actions. Remember when He parted the Red Sea?! Remember when He healed that guy in your church?! Remember when He rained down manna?! Remember when He healed that other guy in your church by ending his earthly pain and bringing him home to heaven?! Remember Samson, the deliverer?! Remember ______ and ______, the couple who once helped deliver you out of financial debt?!
Whatever He's done for you, remember! And rejoice because God hasn't changed (Heb. 13:8). The 21st century means nothing to God. His economy of time and actions is not dependent upon or limited by the time He created. So, think back. Recall what He has done. Don't live in the past. But remember it. And take comfort in knowing that He can work in that way again, if He so chooses.
When we start doubting God's work for the future, we have only to recount the myriad of ways that He has been faithful in the past.
3 comments:
absolutely. great post, i needed it right at this moment, after reading myself weary of way too much cancer info that is neither here nor there - Google can be a great friend or a horrible evil villain...today it was my nemesis.
thanks Josh.
are these separate friends with cancer? or were you talking about me?
Christin, know that we're praying for you guys. The day you gave me the news on my blog, it was a huge shocker. A few hours later we got an e-mail from a buddy of mine from college (North Greenville) who just found out he has pre-leukemia. Unreal. Then, a couple of days later I read Psalm 77 in my quiet time and had to share. Partly because I knew you'd read it, and the other partly just to put in writing what God had been showing me.
hey - got your comment on my blog too, thanks for stopping by. sorry it feels "1999" (ha) - on xanga way back when, you could change your comments/"eprops" to whatever you want - me being me, I chose coffee-related items. You understand. :)
At any rate, thanks again for the post, for the prayers, for your concern. If you & Tasha are interested, I'm actually keeping a cancer blog (protected) on Wordpress to document everything we're dealing with, and also to keep family and friends updated. There's already a ton up there (since November and our rollercoaster began again) so I know it's a lot to read, but if you wanted to keep up with his surgery next week and subsequent chemo thereafter...I can definitely let you in! let me know.
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