Weeping in sorrow but not too much.

First let me apologize for the lack of posting anything new for the past several weeks,  It is not uncommon for a believer to find themselves under such affliction that anything they might say seems selfish and hollow.

As Patti and I pass through this time of trial and sorrow we have had a very real struggle to keep ourselves productive - me especially.  I have started many post only to stop and realize I was so focused on where we are ( and where we aren't) hat my writing was a great disappointment and so could not be published.  For you who follow this blog, please forgive my lack of faithfulness and my self-absorption.

Though I don't know if I can keep our circumstances out of my writing I will make the best attempt I can, relying upon His provision and power.

Let me just say this - it is very very easy when one is undergoing some affliction or other difficulty to miss the blessings that are all around you.  When one is looking for something specific to happen it is easy to miss what is indeed happening.  Missing the many blessings that do occur is something we need to consider.  While we wait upon Him we must not forget that in His sovereignty He is guiding everything and though He can work instantaneously and awesomely He is still working in the common and everyday blessings we so often overlook.

Yes, we need to be thankful that, "things aren't worse," but we need to work to see and be grateful for how things are - even when a part o that is not so hot.

In his work, A Christian's Directory, Christopher Love writes:


That Christians should take a great deal of heed, that they do not be immoderate or excessive in worldly sorrow, either for the meeting with any crosses, undergoing any troubles, or the losing of any comforts here in the world.    Whatever afflictions you meet with, or whatever comforts you part with, you should take care your sorrows are not immoderate and inordinate.
Love, Christopher (2012-11-27). A Christian's Directory (Kindle Locations 372-377). Puritan Publications. Kindle Edition. 


The blessing o these words are, of course in the admonition to not to allow our sorrows to be immoderate and inordinate.  But the other blessing is that we may be sorrowful when we meet crosses, troubles or loss of comforts.

In a world that demands we "suck it up," "tough it out," and even "hang in there," we do ourselves an injury when we do not allow ourselves to acknowledge and express our sorrow.  Instead we bite our cheeks and force a smile - - pretending -- we are fine and happy.

Let me encourage you to consider your sorrow and to respect it.  Express it but do not allow it to overwhelm and crush you.  God blesses our tears as well as our laughter.  He takes notice of our joy and our pain.  I do not believe He would have us -- pretend -- things are good when they are not. 

Yes, we all have heaven to hope in and hope for but here we are going to have crosses and troubles and losses.   I praise Him that we may be sorrowful and even weep when things are thus.  It is a great blessing to know:


You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?   (Psa 56:8)

Father, though I hope in You, I hurt as well.  Thank You for Your understanding and mercy. Thank You that I do NOT have to - indeed I must not - pretend I am fine when I am not.  Thank You that You hold my pain in Your hand and send Your comfort to my heart.  Lt me come weeping to You - not over much - but rather to express my weakness, my frailty, my utter need for You.
Amen

Psalm 25:16-18 not done

Psalm 25:16-18 ESV
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. [17] The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. [18] Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.

In another post I mentioned a work by Christopher Love. The title is, A Christian's Directory.  It is indeed well worth reading.  He deals, at one point, with our struggles - sorrow concerning "worldly crosses," vs "our sin."  He writes:

"If you mourn for sin, the true joy that arises from the forgiveness of sin, will swallow up the grief that comes to you through any worldly cross of affliction."

Do we find that to be true?  I think that's part of the point of Psalm 25:16-18.  Our worldly crosses really can take our eyes off His mercy and grace which in turn diminishes our comfort and confidence in Him.

We are not prohibited in any way from sorrowing for our worldly crosses but we have to keep all things in perspective.  When we suffer "crosses" in our lives it is all too easy to forget the "cross" we will never ever have to bear.  This is very unhealthy for the believer.

I think we have gotten confused about "here."  We have forgotten that it is not our home.  We have forgotten that it is judged for destruction.  We strive to be "at home" in a place we are just visiting - though we are visiting with a purpose.

Even in this Psalm we can see how our minds can focus on the "crosses" to the detriment of our mortifying our sin.  We are forgiven - though we still sin.  It is our sin and its forgiveness we need to work on keeping before our eyes.

The Puritans can be tough to read.  They had great senses of humor but when it came to sin and salvation it seems to disappear (as well it should). They found themselves going to prison, to the chopping block, to the pyre.  They found themselves homeless, destitute, hungry, oppressed, persecuted ---- etc. etc. etc ---

But they also knew they were going to heaven - they knew they were saved and they fought anything, feeling or thought, that turned their minds and hearts away from those facts.   It's is not easy to hurt now and hope for heaven then.  Sometimes it hurts so bad now that we beg for heaven now.

We read in the Word about hero's.  Well folks - there is only one hero in the Word and that's God.  Every marvelous and miraculous deliverance, release, rescue, etc. were God's doing NOT Abraham's or Moses' or David's or Paul's --- but God's.  These men and women we elevate to the status of heroes were just men and women like you and I who learned to trust in God and were used by Him through His power and provision to be there when He worked His wonders and displayed His glory.

We've got to quit looking for and/or trying to be heroes.  We need to be humble and meek and faithful servants of the only hero (which is a pretty poor term for Him).

Let us be sad in our affliction but rejoice in our salvation - It's not always easy and it sometimes feels fake - but it is what we need to be doing.

Father, teach me, gently, to look to You alone for my needs and to acknowledge You alone for all my blessings.  Teach me from your Word how to do this humbly, regularly and wisely.

Amen