Where is God?
"For thus says the high and lofty One
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy;
I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.'"
Isaiah 57:15
In Psalm 34 David writes:
"The LORD is near to them who are of a broken heart and saves such as be of a contrite spirit."
Both of these passages reveal that God who dwells in such high and unreachable places, is most near to those who are so low. This is beautiful irony. The word "near" in Psalm 34 is a word that carries the idea of "family" or "neighbor." We experience God as "Father" when we are of a "broken heart." The word "broken" carries the idea of "bringing forth in birth" or to "burst." I am sure that many of you have experienced the depth of this emotional pain. Though pain of this magnitude is unbearable, it is what allows us to experience the presence of God. Elijah in I Kings 19 understood this "bursting" of a "broken heart," so much so that he no longer wanted to live. Depression, divorce, despair, and death are all a part of God's grand design to bring us into an intimate relationship with Him. God does not cause these things...he does not cause divorce for example, but allows us to experience these difficulties because he knows they are necessary. An eight year old is raped by her father. Could God have prevented this? Without question. Why didn't He? In Glenda's Story, you will find an answer from a woman who experienced being raped by her father for eight years...it was during her darkest night that she found God. I have never read a more insightful story on why God allows suffering than from Glenda's perspective. I even called her to talk to her to verify that what she wrote years ago was still true today. And it was...during a time when her heart had burst and her soul had been crushed, she found God....and till this very day she lives with a forgiving spirit and a heart that is filled with the presence of God.
If you were to read the rest of Isaiah 57, you would find that God allows such despairing experiences in order to cleanse us from our own wicked heart. In verse 17 God says, "I was wroth, and smote him: I hid myself, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart." But thanks be to God he doesn't hide Himself forever. The text in verse 18 concludes, "I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto to him and to his lamentors."
Oh the restoration and comforts of God! They will come...wait upon the Lord and He will renew your strength; you shall mount up with wings as eagles, you shall run and not be weary, and walk and not faint...teach me Lord to wait.
(update on my dad: for a week he had experienced a complete system failure...heart, kidneys, lungs, and brain. They immediately placed dad into an induced coma while placing him on life support. The doctor gave little hope. Less than three days ago, dad awoke and began communicating. They removed the ventalor and dad was still breathing. His first word to me was "Pray." He needs oxygen for support presently, but each day he is getting stronger. I ask for your prayers...i would love to see my dad, as a new baby believer, experience the "restoration of comforts" that Isaiah describes. Not so much to be comfortable in his latter years, but to bear fruit for God and experience the joys of serving Him. This has been an incredible journey for all of us...God is truly near to those who are of a broken heart and rescues those who are of a crushed spirit. thank you for your prayers. Mark
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy;
I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.'"
Isaiah 57:15
In Psalm 34 David writes:
"The LORD is near to them who are of a broken heart and saves such as be of a contrite spirit."
Both of these passages reveal that God who dwells in such high and unreachable places, is most near to those who are so low. This is beautiful irony. The word "near" in Psalm 34 is a word that carries the idea of "family" or "neighbor." We experience God as "Father" when we are of a "broken heart." The word "broken" carries the idea of "bringing forth in birth" or to "burst." I am sure that many of you have experienced the depth of this emotional pain. Though pain of this magnitude is unbearable, it is what allows us to experience the presence of God. Elijah in I Kings 19 understood this "bursting" of a "broken heart," so much so that he no longer wanted to live. Depression, divorce, despair, and death are all a part of God's grand design to bring us into an intimate relationship with Him. God does not cause these things...he does not cause divorce for example, but allows us to experience these difficulties because he knows they are necessary. An eight year old is raped by her father. Could God have prevented this? Without question. Why didn't He? In Glenda's Story, you will find an answer from a woman who experienced being raped by her father for eight years...it was during her darkest night that she found God. I have never read a more insightful story on why God allows suffering than from Glenda's perspective. I even called her to talk to her to verify that what she wrote years ago was still true today. And it was...during a time when her heart had burst and her soul had been crushed, she found God....and till this very day she lives with a forgiving spirit and a heart that is filled with the presence of God.
If you were to read the rest of Isaiah 57, you would find that God allows such despairing experiences in order to cleanse us from our own wicked heart. In verse 17 God says, "I was wroth, and smote him: I hid myself, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart." But thanks be to God he doesn't hide Himself forever. The text in verse 18 concludes, "I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto to him and to his lamentors."
Oh the restoration and comforts of God! They will come...wait upon the Lord and He will renew your strength; you shall mount up with wings as eagles, you shall run and not be weary, and walk and not faint...teach me Lord to wait.
(update on my dad: for a week he had experienced a complete system failure...heart, kidneys, lungs, and brain. They immediately placed dad into an induced coma while placing him on life support. The doctor gave little hope. Less than three days ago, dad awoke and began communicating. They removed the ventalor and dad was still breathing. His first word to me was "Pray." He needs oxygen for support presently, but each day he is getting stronger. I ask for your prayers...i would love to see my dad, as a new baby believer, experience the "restoration of comforts" that Isaiah describes. Not so much to be comfortable in his latter years, but to bear fruit for God and experience the joys of serving Him. This has been an incredible journey for all of us...God is truly near to those who are of a broken heart and rescues those who are of a crushed spirit. thank you for your prayers. Mark
2 Comments:
Thank you for the update. As we pray, we are comforted by God and in knowing that you are reading his Word and that your Dad will continue to be filled with the almighty strength to serve. God's will. By God's Grace, Kate
Oh, David has to be one of my favorites, I can relate in so many ways...but then there is Esther, the Syrophonecian woman, The woman at the well, and of course there is the woman who touched Jesus' robe...it seems that the people God has used to touch me, are just like me...huh...I wonder....
Each and everyone of the people in Bible history who have experienced God as Father, didnt experience it by reading the words....there has to be more than just reading the verses. As my life is reflected in many stories,which include hurts, hardships and sufferings, the experiences themselves, however, arent what brought me to My Father, it was the realization of how desperatly I needed Him....He needed to save me from myself...! We live in a fallen sinful world, I had to make an decision as to who I wanted to honor... me or God, and since me wasnt working, ....we all have hurts and bruises that are just ours...the person that I became needed help, and a lot of it. being contrite and humble...not a chance, my heart was hard, I was angry. When you come to the end of yourself...and you have nothing left, nothing left to offer.....and are willing to give it up....its then you can offer your absolute nothingness to the only one who wants it...He wants IT..!..you must BE broken and humblED in order to see the God who loves you...to be able to live through the verses that touch you and form you....God becomes Abba...one who listens to your heart, He comforts your need, He loves every part of your brokeness...the deeper the bruising..the bigger the hole He fills...with Himself, its beautiful, really.....
Being able to understand the reasons He allows such things occur in our lives from His perspective..wow......If we allow Him in to revive the contrite and humble heart....We can give the love He fills us with....there is nothing like it.....a forgiving heart, and God's presence in my life is the testimony He speaks through me....even if I dont ever meet Glenda, we will dance together in eternity....cant wait..!
Psalm 31:9-10,14-15..Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;'my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing my strength fails because of my iniquity and my bones waste away....
But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors..".....Amen!
Thank you Father for your words....they comfort me...may they comfort others too..
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