Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Digging Deep


Remember my affliction and my wanderings…
My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope…
the steadfast love
of the Lord never ceases.
Lamentations 3:19-23

The aged coastal cypress is bent and bowed down, but rooted firmly. Prevailing against the unrelenting winds it’s shape and color have been altered, nevertheless, it clings to the precipice above the turbulent Pacific. Though formed and shaped by the winds it cannot control, it has not moved.

Adversities in our lives shape and alter us. The result is precious dreams and eager ambitions blowing away and we find ourselves reluctantly closing the door on what we thought were marvelous possibilities.

Who will remember what we have endured? My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. The memories of hurt and suffering never go away. Like scars that remain from a physical injury there are and will be soul scars resulting from what has blown our way.

Jesus remembers our suffering! His own suffering makes him intimately acquainted with the hurts we experience. He responds by loving us, steadfastly. Like the resilient cypress we press in to the Rock. No matter the winds velocity the Rock does not move. Taking any action to move away from the storm will mean letting go of the Rock that keeps us safe.

By pressing in, digging our roots deeper into the Word we will feel the Rock’s strength. The steadfastness of the Rock is our only hope of survival. We cannot move.

Jesus, bent and bowed down,
I feel overwhelmed by life storms.
Help me to dig into the strength
of your steadfast love.
Your mercy is my hope.
Your love is my rock.
Your faithfulness is my foundation.
AMEN.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the blessings that you continue to share! I hope and pray that your father is recuperating well and that you're doing well too! Dan Thompson