Life’s Heaviness

Sometimes life is heavy, too heavy. In the past two weeks, I know two families who have lost a young person under 30. In both instances the beloved family member died in their sleep (on a Thursday). Both were discovered by their mothers.

Watching the families struggle with the pain is excruciating. The depth of their agony is unimaginable for me. While I sympathize and am deeply compassionate, I hope to never fully understand what they are going through.

Early Friday morning, the weight of it all settled in. I spent some time just talking with God. Explaining to him that I don’t understand. Wondering why people have to hurt so deeply. Praying that God would speak to and comfort the families.

There are a couple of things that I try to read daily. One is the ESV One Year Bible. The other is The Tozer Devotional. I also happened upon this wonderful gem on Friday morning, Daily Light on the Daily Path. This devotional was written in the 1800′s by Samuel Bagster in an effort to teach his 12 children the Bible. This bookstore owner would compile related scriptures and share them daily with his children. Later, his family compiled this collection of daily devotions and published them.

Friday morning, I happened upon this writing which provided comfort and hope in the midst of the darkness:

Morning

And hope does not put us to shame.

“I am the Lord; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.”—“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.”—“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”—For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, which is why I suffer as I do.—But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed.

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf.

Rom. 5:5; Isa. 49:23; Jer. 17:7; Isa. 26:3, 4; Ps. 62:5, 6; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 6:17-20

I still don’t understand. There was no eureka moment that brought clarity. But a strange calm washed over me when I read those words. It was the calm assurance that He is my hope.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

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