DROWNING: A Metaphor of Fear

I've been thinking of the word "lament" and what it means, and at the same time, I have been reading the book, The God of All Comfort by Dee Brestin. I came across some thoughts she had on lamenting-how does lament play out in your lives these days? The following are some thoughts to ponder on the subject. I highly recommend you read the book, The God of All Comfort. It will bless your heart.

"Drowning is the psalms' repeated metaphor for the fear that engulfs the person in overwhelming circumstances. When we first receive catastrophic news, whatever it is, it feels as if "cords of death" have entangled us, trapping us, pulling us down. But then, a rescue! In Psalm 18, God Almighty hears the cry of His child and parts the heavens to fly on the wings of the wind. The earth quakes, and the mountains fall down, for the Rescuer is coming.

But what if the rescue is not the kind we anticipate? Sometimes, instead of stopping the wild waters, God throws us a lifeline in the midst of the storm - the lifeline of lament. This isn't what we hoped for, but it is His way of helping us hold onto Him when suffering surrounds us. The lament frees us to be honest with God and to dialogue with Him.

Many psalms begin with a wail of lament, like the cry of someone drowning. But then, somewhere before the close of each psalm, the Spirit quickens the psalmist to trust God, even though the psalmist still doesn't understand what God is doing. The psalmist trusts because he is reminded of God's heart and character.

But not always. Two psalms end in complete despair. Psalm 39 closes with a plea for God to look away so the psalmist might rejoice again! The other psalm of despair is Psalm 88, which has been called, "Heman's Cry of Darkness." Heman, like Asaph, was a lead singer, and has written some of the most beautiful psalms in the Psalter. But in Psalm 88, darkness is the theme from the beginning to the bitter end. Heman is crying out to God "day and night," for, he says, "You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths" and taken "all my loved ones," and "hidden your face." Water images are in this psalm as well, a common metaphor for a gried, as Heman cries: "You have overwhelmed me with all your waves," and "your terrors surround me like a flood." We expect for Heman's soul to take a turn by the end, as in the other psalms of lamentation, but that does not happen. The psalm closes with: "The darkness is my closest friend."

These two psalms are a gift. They show that even when we cannot come to the point of saying, "But I will trust You, Lord." God understands. He understands because He's been there. When darkness covered the earth at Golgotha, when the earth shook and it seemed that God Almighty was coming on the wings of the wind to rescue His beloved Son - instead, there was no rescue, Jesus cried, "My God, My God - why have you forsaken me?" Jesus understands what it feels like to be drowning with no apparent rescue in sight.

But we have what Heman, Job, and the psalmists did not have. We are on this side of the cross, and we know that because Jesus was forsaken, we never will be. When we are sinking into the dark and swirling waters, we must remember that this lifeline of lament is hurled by a compassionate hand that, indeed, is acquainted with sorrow. Grab it, and don't let go."

The Waiting Game

John 13:37 "...Lord, why can I not follow You now?"

When God brings a time of waiting, and appears to be unresponsive, don't fill it with busyness, just wait. Never run before God gives His direction. If you have the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt - WAIT!

Ten Reasons for Studying the Bible

1. The Bible yields food for the soul. It has the milk necessary for the spiritual growth of the babe, and strong meat to sustain the older, mature Christian. (See 1 Pt. 1:1-2; Heb. 5:12-14).

2. A knowledge of the truth and obedience to it is necessary to be made free from sin. (See John 8:31-32; 1 Pt. 1:22).

3. The Bible reveals God's view of man. It enables the student to see himself as God sees him, for the Bible is God's mirror of the soul. (See James 1:21-25).

4. A working knowledge of the Bible arms one against the difficulties and hardships of life. It has a message to cover every condition and problem. It can be used in every emergency from the cradle to the grave. (See Rom. 15:4).

5. The knowledgeable Christian is able to comfort and edify the discouraged and brokenhearted. (See Col. 4:6; 1 Thess. 5:14).

6. The Scriptures contain all good works that are pleasing to God, and give all things that pertain to life and godliness. (See 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pt. 1:3).

7. One must study the Bible to have the approval of God, to be a ready workman, and to handle correctly the Word of truth. (See 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 pt. 3:15).

8. A knowledge of the Bible is the only safeguard against fatal error. (See Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1).

9. The Scriptures are able to build us up and to give us a home in heaven. (See Acts 20:32; 2 Tim. 3:15).

10. The Bible will be our standard of judgment in the last day. (See John 12:48; Rev. 20:12).

He Still Walked

He could hear the crowds screaming "crucify" "crucify" ... he could hear the hatred in their voices, these were his chosen people. He loved them, and they were going to crucify him. He was beaten, bleeding and weakened ... his heart was broken, but still He walked.

He could see he crowd as he came from the palace. He knew each of the faces so well. He had created them. He knew every smile, laugh, and shed tear, but now they were contorted with rage and anger ... his heart broke, but still He walked.

Was he scared? You and I would have been, so his humanness would have mandated that he was. He felt alone. His disciples had left, denied, and even betrayed him. He searched the crowd for a loving face and he saw very few. Then He turned his eyes to the only ONE that mattered and he knew that he would never be alone. He looked back at the crowd, at the people who were spitting at him, throwing rocks at him and mocking him and he knew that because of him, they would never be alone. So for them, He walked.

The sounds of the hammer striking the spikes echoed through the crowd. The sounds of his cries echoed even louder, the cheers of the crowd, as his hands and feet were nailed to the cross, intensified with each blow. Loudest of all was the still small voice inside his heart that whispered "I am with you my son," and God's heart broke. He had let his son walk.

Jesus could have asked God to end his suffering, but instead he asked God to forgive, not to forgive him, but to forgive the ones who were persecuting him. As he hung on that cross, dying an unimaginable death, He looked out and saw, not only the faces in the crowd, but also, the face of every person yet to be, and his heart filled with love. As his body was dying, his heart was alive. Alive with the limitless, unconditional love he feels for each of us. That is why He walked.

When I forget how much My God loves me, I remember his walk. When I wonder if I can be forgiven, I remember his walk. When I need reminded of how to live like Christ, I think of his walk. And to show him how much I love him, I wake up each morning, turn my eyes to him, and I walk.

RESURRECTION

Jesus
Lord Jesus
You are the center of my longing-
The brim-full, spill-over life that is You.
I want to feel what You felt
When You stepped out on the other side
of that dark night.
I want the joy of the Resurrection.

First the dark night?
But that is death, Lord,
And I want to live.
I want to live-for You.
How can I die
When there is so much me
In me?

You'll have to do it, Lord.
It's Your turn to crucify me.
Destroy my cherished keepsakes,
Strip away my person ambition,
Cancel my high-soaring dreams
Till I am naked
And empty
And dead.

O God, how it hurts
To tear all the me
Out of me
And watch it die!

Yet life is born of death,
And there's a glow in the east.
Night slips away into bright morning,
And I am alive!
Thank You, Lord.
Thank You for the dazzling sunburst
Of our resurrection!

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd: That's Relationship!
I shall not want: That's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: That's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters: That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul: That's healing!
He leadeth me in the pathes of righteousness: That's Guidance!
For His name's sake: That's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death: That's testing!
I will fear no evil: That's Protection!
For Thou art with me: That's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me: That's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: That's Hope!
Thou anointest my head with oil: That's Consecration!
My cup runneth over: That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: That's blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord: That's Security!
Forever: That's Eternity!
Amen!

Refuge and Strength

WE ARE UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING FOR JESUS APART FROM AN UTTERLY DEPENDENT FAITH IN JESUS.

“God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

Making God our refuge and strength is a decision we make. It is a choice of the will. It’s not something we fall into accidentally. It’s a personal declaration—a resolve of the heart. It is a habit of life. We must daily renew our resolve to make God our refuge and strength. We must cultivate that trust in Him in an ongoing, progressively growing way. The assurance of this verse from the Lord ought to take care of all of our fears and problems. God is our refuge—He hides us. God is our strength—He helps us. These two go together. At times in our lives we need a refuge. The storm is blowing and the battle is raging, and we have to run somewhere to hide. It’s not a sin to hide, but it is a sin to stay hidden. God hides us so that He can help us. Then we can return to the battle and face the storm. This is not escape but rejuvenation. Remember, when God is available as your refuge and your strength, you have nothing to fear. Take time to run to the Lord. Are circumstances overwhelming you? Take refuge in the Lord. He will enable you to continue with renewed strength and confidence.

The more burdens we put on the shoulders of Jesus, the more precious He will be to us. He can handle it all! When you are in trouble, do you know who to call to? Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Strip off your own righteousness and your own fears, and look to the beloved Physician! He is always there to provide a refuge. Do you really believe it?

Think of what Harry went through in the following story. Harry had never felt this kind of fear before… He had walked this way home a thousand times, but this time was different—this time he was afraid. Maybe it was because his hip hurt more than ever… maybe it was because his cane felt heavier than usual—or that the ally was darker, there was surely someone there waiting to jump out and hurt him like before. Everything tonight reminded him of the night when someone did jump out at him, and knock him down and hurt him. That was the night he wanted to forget, but it was too much like tonight. "Give me your money, Old Man!" said the young man towering over him as Harry lay in pain on the ground. "I know you've got it…" Harry obeyed without a word. When he gave it to him the mugger just looked at it in disgust… "Is that all you got, you stupid old man?" he said kicking him in the hip for emphasis. Then he was gone and Harry was left lying there on the sidewalk, alone. Now tonight, he passed by the very spot where it had happened. Harry walked as quickly as possible, whatever his hip would take. He looked down the street, he could see his own front door, and the light there above it was on for him. That was where he wanted to be, that was where he was safe… that was his refuge.

Like Harry, we need a refuge, because the world is a dangerous place. There is trouble out there. The Psalm paints a picture of violence, the earth falling apart, mountains crumbling and oceans coming out of their banks sweep over everything in their path. It shows us dangers we can't avoid—dangers that are too big to run away from. God is our refuge, it says, even in the face of these kinds of dangers.

God is our refuge—our safe place. Years ago there used to be signs on houses saying “Block Home.” What’s a block home? It is a place you can go if you are in trouble. It’s a safe place to run if someone is chasing you. “Safe Place” is a refuge. It is somewhere to go in time of trouble. The world is a dangerous place—but God is our refuge. He is our refuge when we are threatened by sickness that lurks in the darkness to catch us when we least expect it—threatens to jump out and knock us down to take away our ability to take care of ourselves, our independence, and self-reliance. But, in sickness we turn to God, who is our refuge. Like the woman who came to Jesus crying, “Heal my daughter!” Just like her we come to our Refuge for healing. We come to Him in prayer believing He can heal.

The world, too, is a dangerous place—but God is our refuge. He is our refuge when other people threaten us. People we don’t understand—people who don’t understand us. It isn’t just thieves and muggers—it’s people willing to put themselves in an airplane and strike a building full of people. There are people who are willing to kill thousands to satisfy their own ideals. Many people have very different ideologies—very different theologies that threaten us. Harry was beaten on a dark street; Christians are often ridiculed on primetime. Positive portrayals of people of faith are hard to come by on television. And it’s getting worse. People of faith are under attack in the legal system—and the school system. And when it happens we run to our Refuge. “Help us, Father!” we cry.

The world is a dangerous place, but we have a Refuge, God is our Refuge, through Jesus Christ. So even if illness overtakes us, he is our refuge—we look to him for healing, but even if the illness ends in death we find refuge in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the resurrection that God promises us. Even though there are people out there who hate us and threaten us, we turn to God for refuge. Even if they kill us we find our refuge in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the resurrection that God promises us. And when death does finally catch us, when the pursuit is over, when darkness is closing in on us—we look to God, our refuge and remember the rescue, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is in him we find refuge. The peace of God, that passes all understanding, keeps your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 46 was evidently written in that kind of environment. There must have been times when the Psalmist felt like he was in a pressure-cooker and could not get out. So he wrote the words of this Psalm as he sought to deal with the stresses of his life. Read the first verse again, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” The Hebrew word “trouble” means “pressed in.” Do you remember the old saying, “Between a rock and a hard place?” That is the kind of pressure the Psalmist is talking about. When you are “Between a rock and a hard place,” then turn to this Psalm, because it ministers in a most amazing and significant way. You have nothing to fear because God is your refuge and strength—in a time of trouble.

It almost sounds as if the Psalmist was familiar with the headlines in our modern day scientific journals, doesn’t it? Worrisome things are happening in our world today. During the past 20 years, earthquakes have increased at a phenomenal rate. Geologists point to the San Andreas Fault, and predict that one day a large chunk of western California will fall off into the Pacific Ocean. They say that the Pacific rim volcanoes are ripe for a major eruption.

And what about the hurricanes that lash our coasts, the tornadoes that sweep across our states, the blizzards that paralyze our cities, the drought that shrivels up & cracks our farm land, & the floods that wash away bridges and homes? Some are beginning to cry out, "What is happening in our world today?" But as Christians, how are we to react to all this? The Psalmist says, "I will not be afraid. My Lord is still in command of the winds and the waves and the sea, and all of the elements of nature. Therefore I will not fear. God is my refuge & my strength."

In our world today nations are in an uproar. Mankind seems to be falling apart. But we, as Christians, don’t have to be. We can stand steadfast because God is our refuge and our strength, and because Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And as Christians we stand strong in the faith and commitment that we have in Jesus, who is our Lord.

In conclusion we must remember that God is always near and available to us. God never puts us on hold. God’s power is greater than anything in this entire world. Don’t be afraid to ask for His help—He is there for you. God’s help works even when we can’t help ourselves. The Psalmist ends this Psalm with verse 10, which is such a constant reminder to us, “To be still and know that I am God.”