Why the tears, Lord?

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Do you ever remember hearing that verse before? If you're anything like me, you've been taught this song since day one, and they even made a song JUST so we would remember! "There is a season, turn, turn, turn, and a time to every purpose under heaven..." you know how it goes! So if it's really true, if there is a time for every season of life, if there is 'a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,' why is it so hard for us to "survive" the times to tear down, to remend, to mourn? If this sunday school song was so easy for us to remember the tune, why is it so difficult for us to see the Lord in these more difficult times? Why are we so quick to blame the Lord for putting us in spiritual warfare, and blame Him for our loss, and walk away from Him when we are hurt?

Have you realized that? In times of pain, suffering and trials, we are so quick to run from the Lord until we're through that 'season'. But whilst we are among the tears we plead with God for a miracle, for healing we beg Him to take away the sorrows.

I am no different than anyone else, I have rough times in life as well. Times where i plead with God for answers--and now would happen to be one of those times. It seems like everything in my life is open-ended, my direction and motivation are lacking, where i used to see the Lord put footsteps leading me, they've seemed to fade. And the Lord is continually showing me places in my life where I am lacking Him and showing me my faults, and the things I need to work on. Our first judgement as 'mature' Christians in these times is that we've lost sight of God, or we've temporarily forgotten about Him; but my lack of direction and answers is not because I've forgotten Him lately. I love my devotions, my quiet time, and talking to the Lord on a daily basis, and a day without it seems to be so unimportant. So why is it that we have these times of doubt and frustration?

"I cried out to God for help,

I cried out to God to hear me.

When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;

at night I stretched out untiring hands

and my soul refused to be comforted.

I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;

I mused, and my spirit grew faint.

Selah"

Psalms 77:1-3

*by the way Selah comes from the Hebrew root word (calah) meaning 'measure'. So in the bible and in the Psalms especially it is there to signal the believer to 'measure' carefully the meaning of what has been said.

I lay in bed on a nightly basis and my thoughts flood my mind. Anyone else the same way? More so than usual this has been the case lately, and I lay there and I lay awake unable to be comforted by the Lord because I keep pushing the Comforter away so that I can dwell on my issues. But when I come around and remember the Name of the Lord--Comforter. I feel as if my Comforter has left, as if His grace and mercy have left me.

"Will the Lord reject forever?

Will He never show His favor again?

Has His unfailing love vanished forever?

Has His promise failed for all time?

Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has He in anger withheld His compassion?

Selah"

Psalms 77:7-9

But has He really? What is keeping us from remembering Him?

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

yes, i will remember Your miracles of long ago.

I will meditate on all Your works

and consider all Your mighty deeds."

Psalms 77:11-12

When our hearts will not be comforted when the Lord feels so far away, when we think He has left us and we wonder if His mercy will ever return to us, this is where we let our mind go. Back to the times before this season, when we felt God and His presence was like a blanket over our shivering hearts and His mercies were so plentiful. In these times when our heart is so lost, we can find rest in remembering when the Lord was so near, and remembering how faithful He was and will always be! Finish this Psalm and listen as David remembers the power of the Lord and how faithful He has been.

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him... Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world, caused by evil desires"

2 Peter 1:3-5

We have been equipped with the instruments to find our way through the times of sorrow, the Lord has given us the tools to "survive" it, but we have to pray and ask God to show us the way out!

suffering creates endurance,

endurance creates character &

character creates confidence.

Someone reminded me not to long ago that pain and suffering are not from the Lord, satan is the master of the evil of this World and the Lord allows us to go through trials to make us stronger, whether you believe that or not, it is the truth.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

1 Corinthians 10:13

We have to trust the Lord that there is beauty beyond the pain, that He knows what is best for us, and we have to believe He only has our best interest in mind.

"I never knew these wounds would heal my soul, I've never seen such beauty and sorrow meet. The blood of Jesus was bled for me."

"Beautiful the Blood" by Fee

:)

Colossians 2:6