Corona Devo 3082

Lord, I came to You crying.  Tears of empathy and sympathy and sincerity fell from my eyes and dripped from my heart.  

Some of my loved ones are suffering.  The pain is real: physical pain, emotional anguish, and spiritual pain too.

The pain.
The pain.
The pain. 

Do you hear me, Lord?  I am hurting.  I am crying out for others who are hurting.  

Pain, pain, pain of this world.  
It is real and palpable, and almost unbearable today.

"Help, Lord!", I cried in tears, and prayers, and in journaled-ink.

Don't You hear me, Father?  I am beseeching You in every way that I know how to bring relief to my loved ones...and to me.

Won't you respond?  Won't You comfort?  Won't You console?  Won't You direct?

But the Psalm that God laid in front of me did not apply.  Did not soothe.  Did not hear me.

I was heavy.  
Low.  
..Burdened with the burdens of others and of the world, and I wanted You to meet me there, Lord.  

I ask this in complete humility and love, Father: Don't You hear me?

Psalm 128

(1) How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways! 
(2) You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.  How joyful and prosperous you will be! 
(3) Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home.  
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table.
(4) That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear him. 
(5) May the Lord continually bless you from Zion.  
May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live. 
(6) May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.  
May Israel have peace!  ~Psalm 128:1-6

We may be coming before You bent with burdens today, but Your (Scriptural) response dances off the page like a youngster skipping hopscotch.  There is joy and promise and blessing in these words of Psalm 128, but no acknowledgement of our pining and our pain and our burden for others who are struggling today.  

I re-read the verses again.  I had to squint because the sun was blaring so strongly through my morning window.  Glancing out, I saw a bright azure sky with puffy white clouds dancing happily like your verses in Psalm 128.

And then I got it.

~~~

We cry out to You today, Lord.  We come heavy and suffering and sullen.  The world and its harshness pins our spirit down and we labor under the weight of it.  We cry, "Don't You hear us, Lord?"

But You--Almighty Father and King of Kings: You answer us with Your Word, and Your HOPE and Your Truth.  In verses of praise and promise, You tell us to turn our faces up to you.  You send Your blue sky and blazing sun to remind us of Your timelessness and dependability.  Every day that same sun rises.  Every day You are right here with us.

We ask You in our strangling circumstances, "Don't You hear me?"   

And then (Lord) You ask us through Your Word: "Don't You hear Me?"


Psalm 128

(1) How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways! 
(2) You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.  How joyful and prosperous you will be! 
(3) Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home.  
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table.
(4) That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear him. 
(5) May the Lord continually bless you from Zion.  
May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live. 
(6) May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.  
May Israel have peace!  ~Psalm 128:1-6

We hear You, Lord.

~~~

We fear You, Lord, and we follow Your ways.   Because of this--Your Word promises: we WILL have joy.

 How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways!   ~Psalm 128:1

~~~

We will work hard today, Father.  In accordance with our abilities and opportunities: we will labor in Your Name today.  And as a result, Scripture says that we will enjoy the fruit of our labor.  You promise us joy and prosperity.

You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.  How joyful and prosperous you will be!  ~Psalm 128:2

~~~

After faith-in-You...and purpose-in-our-days (labor)--family fills in the space of our hearts and lives.  Spouses, children, grandchildren.  Aunts, uncles, cousins.  In-laws and relations of all kinds and ties: family is a blessing, says the Lord.  And we hear You, Father.

Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home.  
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table.
(4) That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear him. 
(5) May the Lord continually bless you from Zion.  
May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live. 
(6) May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.  
May Israel have peace!  ~Psalm 128:3-6

~~~

Are we coming to the Lord crying today? 

Are tears of empathy and sympathy and sincerity falling from our eyes and heart?

Is our (physical/emotional/spiritual) pain real today?

Are we asking (yelling!): "Do you hear me, Lord?"

He does.

As we watch the sun rise and set, and as we feel the sun's heat on our face, God gives us nature-based confirmation that we can trust Him, His timing, and His processes.

In our anguish, as we panic and ask Him: Won't you respond?  Won't You comfort?  Won't You console?  Won't You direct?...

God responds.  God comforts.  God consoles.  God directs.

The ironic thing about serving a God whose ways are higher than ours is that His responses/comfort/consolation/direction will often be nothing like we expect (or prefer).

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. (9) “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  ~Isaiah 55:8-9

But make no mistake: God does hear us today.

And God gives us His Holy Bible that we might hear Him today.  Look up today.



Blessings,

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