I am often amazed at how much the word of the Lord integrates and feels familiar in our lives.
There are very few problems we cannot find in either the Psalms or the Proverbs.
I love the way they relate to us on many levels of our heart cries, or our hunger for something deeper.
In Proverbs 17:22: we find these words:
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.
Have you ever had a broken spirit? It is heavy and it weighs you down. I was in this place before.
It was deep and empty like a well, you could not see the bottom or see where it would stop.
I had to keep trusting in the process even when the process wasn’t clear.
I had to push forward and past the terrible darkness I felt deep inside my spirit.
It was like breathing with no air, walking with no energy. At the time all I wanted to do was sleep.
My heart cries often felt like this: in Psalms 77:1-6 :
I cry out to God; Yes I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me. When I was in deep trouble I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted towards the heaven, but my soul was not comforted. I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help. You don’t let me sleep, I am too distressed even to pray! I think of the good old days, long since ended, when my nights were filled with joyful songs. I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
We have been there. All of us. Even those who don’t admit it. Darkness has followed us at some point in our lives.
Each of us have had nights of lost sleep, we have walked the floors with a deep heaviness of soul. From the depth of emotion there is a difference.
There is a deep unsettling. A deep stirring and agitation of spirit. We wait. We pray for healing and we heal slowly.
Then in time we begin to realize, as we heal, that we have never been alone. He was always there.
But he was waiting… for us to ask him to remove our heart ache and turn it to a deep appreciation for HIS deep love for us.
It is hard to imagine but, sometimes when we are in our dark places that is where we grow the most. In the unseen places of spirit and soul.
When it happens and we feel restored, than we can once again say, what we find in Psalm 108:1 :
My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart.
And I love this visual ‘representation of His love for us.’
I can see it, the imagery of HIM who loves us… bending down.
Have you ever allowed yourself to go to a child’s level? leaning in to listen?
Psalm 116: 1-2 :
I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayers for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!