Through the Mist

Fear Not: Loss
Trusting in the God who is always faithful
We work hard. We work hard to feed our families, to do our jobs well, to raise our children with good manners and good morals, to take care of our parents, to get just a little in savings, to plan for retirement knowing one day our bodies will start to slow down. We work hard for our neighbors, for our communities, for those who have needs we can help with. And one day, when the sun is bright, and the stock market is up, we might be tempted to pat ourselves on the back and think ‘I’ve got this!’
But we don’t “got this”, do we? We are all one rainy day, one phone call, one pandemic away from rock bottom. Do you know what has a rock bottom? A pit.
We build houses, and skyscrapers, and businesses, and programs, and legacies, and lives, and yet the pit mocks us. It could all be gone in a second. How do we go on?
“… my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” (Lamentations 3:20-22)
Verse 26 goes on to say "…it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."
A pit is a pretty good place to sit quietly. It’s also terrible, and it’s heartbreaking, but as we sit in the quiet, we realize we are not forgotten. This is not the end. A hand reaches out. God is faithful in the midst of our loss.
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:1-2)
Our feet are once again on solid ground, but we never forget who pulled us up. We are changed. We are humbled. We go back to work, but we hold it all more loosely. As we go, hopefully, we look more like Jesus. We remember that it is God who works in us to fulfill His good purpose. None of it is ours. It never was.
Today as you read, remember the faithfulness of God in your life.

Day Four: Crying Out to God

When you’re sad, are you stoic or do you cry? When you’re mad, do you rant or quietly seethe? What about happy news? Do you dance, or simply smile? Regardless of the ways you express emotion, we’ve all likely felt broken inside. You may even cry out to God like the Psalmists. No one hid their feelings from God in the Psalms. There is wailing despair, angry questioning, impatient ranting, exultant praise, endless gratitude, and everything in between.
· Is there an emotion or topic you’re uncomfortable sharing with God?
King Hezekiah cried out to God when the Assyrians were camped outside Jerusalem’s walls and he received a threatening letter from the King of Assyria. He ran straight to the Temple, spread the letter before the altar, and expressed his fear to Yahweh.
Later, Hezekiah became ill, and Isaiah relayed God’s message that he would die. Devastated and confused, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and cried out to God, reminding the Lord of his faithful service. Did God need to be reminded? No, but Hezekiah’s prayer preserves for future generations the transparency of a pure heart before God.
· Pause to consider: what things have you thought but never directed to God in prayer?

New Testament Crying Out

On the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, He went out to the Mount of Olives to pray—as was His usual practice—and then cried out to His Father. To the point of sweating blood. Three times He prayed the same prayer, pleading with the Father to take the cup of suffering but letting obedience find rest in His heart.
God answers our cries His way. When Hezekiah cried out, he rose from his sick bed three days later. Hezekiah died, however, fifteen years later. When Jesus cried out, He had to drink the cup of wrath His Father poured. Jesus died on a Roman cross. But in three days—the same as Hezekiah—Jesus rose and provided life after death for all who believe.
Yahweh heard the cries of both Hezekiah and Jesus. In His all-knowing wisdom, He answered His children for their ultimate good and His eternal glory.
· Are you crying out today? Can you trust your Heavenly Father’s answer to be for your ultimate good and His eternal glory?

Fuel for the Soul:

· 2 Kings 19:1; 14-19
· Isaiah 38:1-6
· Luke 22:39-46
· Psalm 130