After five years of being in bed in constant pain, being fed through a port in my chest, feeling unloved, feeling hopeless, feeling absolutely alone, I hit rock bottom. I had enough and I asked God why He was keeping me on Earth. It was probably the lowest point in my life. But a funny thing happened. After I asked that question, things began to change (not in a way I would ever have imagined or wanted to happen, but that's a story for another time). Just know that things changed and Hope sprang up!
Have you ever felt like you were truly at rock bottom - with no hope? It’s a terrible feeling.
We've been studying the book of Lamentations in our virtual bible study and it's raw and full of pain and lament! It is a study to show us how to be open and honest, in a biblical way, with God about how we feel. Recently, our study focused on Lamentations Chapter 3. In one verse, the writer of Lamentations wrote how he felt his hope had perished. The verse says:
"He drove into my kidneys the arrows of his quiver;" Lamentations 3:13(ESV)
Our study guide put this verse into context for us. In that day and time, the kidneys were thought of as where all the emotions came from, not from the heart like we know today. So in modern terminology, he was basically saying that God had shot him through the heart. Wow, that's honest and raw and open!
Have we ever been that honest with God and our emotions? Have we ever been able to cry out that He (God) has broken our heart? I don't think that I have! Yet, this is the kind of relationship God wants from us. He wants it all - the beautiful, the wonderful, the joy, but also the raw and ugly and messy! As we become more and more open and honest with Him, we become closer and closer to Him. And as we draw closer and closer to Him, we see more and more Hope in all circumstances.
Do you need some Hope today? In the CSB version of the bible, there are 157 verses that mention hope. Here are just a few that I chose:
Ps. 42:5: "Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God."
Rom 12:12: "Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer."
2 Cor: 1:7: "And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort."
Tit. 1:2: "in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began."
Father God, I come to you today with praise! You are almighty,
You love us so much more than we deserve, and we know our
Hope comes in You. I don’t know what is happening in everyone's
lives today. But I do know that this temporary home of ours is a mess
and it makes us wonder sometimes about the future.
I pray that when we become discouraged and tired and
feel hopeless, You will remind us that our time on Earth is fleeting.
Soon all pain, all suffering, all trials will be gone. We can be hopeful that
even at our rock bottom, You are there and You will stretch out
Your hand to us.
Thank you for guiding us to become more like You.
In Your name I pray. Amen.
Until next time,
Vickie
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