In Your Loneliest Hour
Psalms 22 is a song that is a cry from a heart of anguish, despair, loneliness, and pain. However, it is littered with declarations of God's promise and power to deliver and strengthen those who believe, follow, and fear Him.
I can say I'm not the one that tends to be a loner in life. Whether with family, friends, new church folks, ministers, or haters in disguise, I'm surrounded by people most of the time. However, being surrounded by people and things to do does not mean you can't be lonely. Have you every felt like you are part of a crowd but still as alone as can be? Have you ever felt like you are surrounded by such busy times and action but still not sure why or what you are doing?
When we got news during Sherin's pregnancy with Kayla that the baby might have some health concerns during pregnancy and possibly after birth, I felt like where did God go? Our family and friends were happy and rejoicing with us for the fact of expecting another child. The conversations, plans, and joy of that experience were all happening with great people in our lives. But when we got this news, it seemed like even if we were surrounded by a great support system, we were alone. More than people abandoning us in this moment, my question was "my God, my God, why have you forsaken us?" The only thing I didn't realize at that moment was that He didn't abandon us. He was with us and the baby in the womb. We had to trust in God and ask for His delivering hand to be revealed in this situation. The Holy Spirit reminded us of whose report will we believe, and we prayerfully and with faith responded, "we will believe the report of the Lord!"
In your times of anguish, cry out to God and trust Him. During the rest of the pregnancy, birth, and even until this moment, we can thankfully declare that Kayla is a strong, healthy, adventurous child growing in all ways. God is great! He didn't leave us, He just wanted to know if we trusted in Him.
There will be times in your life that people will not be there for you in your life and will watch from near and far and see what you are going through. They might not say it TO YOU - but I promise you some of your haters are going to think like the onlookers at the cross where Jesus hung and say like in verse 8 of Psalms 22, "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." My question to all of us is this, will people around us know that we TRUST IN THE LORD for them to make that kind of statement? Will they know that our heavenly Father delights in us for them to say or think that?
Jesus felt the loneliest hanging on that cross about to die not because of his physical predicament. He did so because at that point when all of our sins, shame, guilt, sickness, and pain was draped all over Him, His heavenly Father couldn't stand to look at His Son any longer and had to turn His face away from Jesus. Jesus experienced that loneliness so that we would never have to. He died so He can have a relationship with us. He did it so He can abide in us and we can abide in Him.
In your darkest and loneliest hours, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Stare down that crazy predicament you are facing and declare life, victory, freedom, healing, power, and peace over it. In verse 25, the scripture encourages us a couple of things: from God comes the reason for our praise AND our purpose in life is not yet complete. We have a destiny to fulfill for His Kingdom purpose. You are not alone for He is with you even until the end of the age was the promise Jesus left for all of His disciples - in the Bible and today!
Enjoy The Ride,
There have been moments in my life where the silence was deafening, the malaise was debilitating, the proverbial fog in my mind was so thick, the questions were countless, the doubts were running rampant, the confusion was chaotic, and I didn't know what to say, think, or do next.
I can say I'm not the one that tends to be a loner in life. Whether with family, friends, new church folks, ministers, or haters in disguise, I'm surrounded by people most of the time. However, being surrounded by people and things to do does not mean you can't be lonely. Have you every felt like you are part of a crowd but still as alone as can be? Have you ever felt like you are surrounded by such busy times and action but still not sure why or what you are doing?
When we got news during Sherin's pregnancy with Kayla that the baby might have some health concerns during pregnancy and possibly after birth, I felt like where did God go? Our family and friends were happy and rejoicing with us for the fact of expecting another child. The conversations, plans, and joy of that experience were all happening with great people in our lives. But when we got this news, it seemed like even if we were surrounded by a great support system, we were alone. More than people abandoning us in this moment, my question was "my God, my God, why have you forsaken us?" The only thing I didn't realize at that moment was that He didn't abandon us. He was with us and the baby in the womb. We had to trust in God and ask for His delivering hand to be revealed in this situation. The Holy Spirit reminded us of whose report will we believe, and we prayerfully and with faith responded, "we will believe the report of the Lord!"
In your times of anguish, cry out to God and trust Him. During the rest of the pregnancy, birth, and even until this moment, we can thankfully declare that Kayla is a strong, healthy, adventurous child growing in all ways. God is great! He didn't leave us, He just wanted to know if we trusted in Him.
There will be times in your life that people will not be there for you in your life and will watch from near and far and see what you are going through. They might not say it TO YOU - but I promise you some of your haters are going to think like the onlookers at the cross where Jesus hung and say like in verse 8 of Psalms 22, "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." My question to all of us is this, will people around us know that we TRUST IN THE LORD for them to make that kind of statement? Will they know that our heavenly Father delights in us for them to say or think that?
Jesus felt the loneliest hanging on that cross about to die not because of his physical predicament. He did so because at that point when all of our sins, shame, guilt, sickness, and pain was draped all over Him, His heavenly Father couldn't stand to look at His Son any longer and had to turn His face away from Jesus. Jesus experienced that loneliness so that we would never have to. He died so He can have a relationship with us. He did it so He can abide in us and we can abide in Him.
In your darkest and loneliest hours, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Stare down that crazy predicament you are facing and declare life, victory, freedom, healing, power, and peace over it. In verse 25, the scripture encourages us a couple of things: from God comes the reason for our praise AND our purpose in life is not yet complete. We have a destiny to fulfill for His Kingdom purpose. You are not alone for He is with you even until the end of the age was the promise Jesus left for all of His disciples - in the Bible and today!
Enjoy The Ride,
Pastor Cee
