Lord's Day Devotion - Source and Relief

 "But if we pray our tears we enter into sadnesses that integrate our sorrows with our Lord's sorrows and discover both the source of the relief from our sadness."                                                                     ~Eugene H. Peterson~

This sentiment keeps swilling around in my brain, permeating me with permission to connect with Jesus in the poignancy and abyss of my sorrow, together with His.  His sorrow not of His own making but of mine and all of mankind's.

The pivotal point here is to submit to Him.  He knows all our thoughts and cares.  "Pray our tears, pray our doubt," because He understands!

Sadnesses, sicknesses, slanderings and more, heaped upon us and we sorrow.  Doubts may well assail, swell and overwhelm us.  When the tsunami subsides and the undertow threatens to drag us under, capturing us in its forceful grip's retreat, don't let it take you with it, as tempting as it may be.

Instead, pray.  Pray your doubts just like Asaph, the psalmist did in Psalm 73.  He saw how the wicked prospered and compared their lives to his.  He followed God's precepts yet he apparently had trouble aplenty.  What was the point of living a righteous life he wondered?  

"I'm not being blessed with success!"

"Why, Lord?"

"You said, if we follow all Your commands we'd have good success.  That's what You told Moses to tell us children of Israel.  It's not happening  in 'real life'!"

Yet the before and after 'yet' of Psalm 73:23 links two contrasting statements:  those of doubt coursing through Asaph's mind and then the looking at his situation through the lens of God.  He's reminded that God is in control, that he is Sovereign, a Refuge and that He is all around us (omnipresent).

"God is the strength of my heart " (Psalm 73:26).

Oh, but for how long - can this sustain?

Oh, yes!  Asaph had made God his,

"portion forever" (Psalm 73:26 NIV).

This is because God is eternal.

He too, is our Portion and Privilege.  Let's pour out our hearts:  tears, fears, and doubts to our ever faithful, unfailing loving One - Jesus, Savior, Friend.  How dear God was to Asaph.  How dear Jesus can be to each and every one of His followers nowadays.

Fix your hope and trust in Jesus.  He will be your anchor in the storms of life.  That may sound cliche but it is true and we can cling onto our Anchor, Jesus.  Let Him be Your Refuge. 

Then tell all His deeds to others so they too can learn to lean on Him through the earthquakes, tornadoes, and the tsunamis of life that menance and imperil our faith.

Your anchoring in Jesus will hold.

Then you can be steadfast and unmoveable in mind, heart, soul and strength.

"Thank-You, Jesus!"

This Lord's Day, pass the broken bread and cup of wine, remembering Jesus' sorrows on  earth were because of us.  Yet despite this, He sacrificed His life for us to become that Sovereign Anchor of life for us in our sorrows and doubts.  In the travail of His soul we can integrate  ours.  In the travail of our minds, we can, like Asaph did with God, set our eyes, mind and heart back on Jesus.  Focus on what Jesus has done for us through His death, resurrection and ascension, and so remember Him for all He has done for us.  He is both our Source and Relief from our sadnesses and doubts.  

Together, let's praise the Lord, the One who died for us.  His mercy has set us free.  Be grounded firm and deep in our Savior's love.

                                                          ~ERC  June 2022~

Based on Psalm 73 NIV.

Sing, Jesus, Your Mercy, along with The Glorious Christ Live and Will Your Anchor Hold in the Storms of Life, along with Northern Baptist Association.