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A friend of mine, a seminary student in his mid twenties, was just diagnosed with a brain tumor.\u00a0 At this point, we do not know the prognosis, but having a large brain tumor does not sound encouraging.\u00a0 How does a young man like this keep from being crushed by this news?\u00a0 How does his wife handle it?\u00a0 God willing, he will be healed and forty years from now they will look back and talk of God\u2019s work in their lives.\u00a0 But what if healing is not part of God\u2019s plan?\u00a0 What if being a widow before she is even 30 is God\u2019s plan?<\/p>\n
There are many passages of Scripture and many themes of Scripture that could help people deal with such shocking news.\u00a0 There are the truths of heaven, there are the truths of God\u2019s abiding presence, there are the promises that everything works together for good, there are complaints offered to God for deep times of suffering, and there are desperate cries to the Lord for help.\u00a0 We can think of themes such as God\u2019s love, or God\u2019s grace, the finished work of Jesus that removes forever the ultimate sting of death, and many more.<\/p>\n
But I would like to talk about two anchors found in the Psalms for God\u2019s people.\u00a0 I realize that there are more than two anchors in the book of Psalms, but two themes are regularly discussed that help people both praise the Lord and deal with deep suffering.\u00a0 Since this is a short article I simply want to direct your attention to the shortest Psalm in the Bible \u2013 Psalm 117.\u00a0 Psalm 117 is a praise Psalm, but these two themes are found all over the laments as well (consider Psalms 6, 12, and 13 to just name a few for these same themes in the midst of chaos).<\/p>\n
Hope is found anytime I am willing to say that God is dealing with me according to love.\u00a0 I may not always understand why God has chosen a particular way to love me, but I can at least find hope in that I am loved.\u00a0 I can rest in the reality that God cares for me and that He is at work in my life.\u00a0 This is no more real than in the work of the Lord Jesus.\u00a0 It is in the life, death, burial, resurrection, and promised return of Jesus that I see God\u2019s ultimate expression of love and care.\u00a0 It is in Jesus that I see God\u2019s care for me \u2013 his beloved.<\/p>\n
The problem is that when we suffer deeply, like my friend, it is easy to minimize or forget altogether the lovingkindness of the Lord.\u00a0 We get tunnel vision.\u00a0 We see only our suffering.\u00a0 But I find hope every time I am willing to put my deep pain in the context of the eternal world<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In moments of hurt, suffering, and difficulty I must tie my rope to the anchor that God\u2019s lovingkindness is truly great towards me.\u00a0 My friend has tightly fastened his rope to this anchor.<\/p>\n The fact that God\u2019s truth stands forever (Isaiah 40:8) is an incredible comfort in the days when facts seem illusive.\u00a0 Initially, physicians were not overly concerned with my friend\u2019s symptoms.\u00a0 As more information became available, however, the seriousness of the situation began to set in.<\/p>\n When suffering strips us to our core, we need truth.\u00a0 Pious platitudes do not work in these moments.\u00a0 It is only the truth that stands forever.\u00a0 Everything other than God\u2019s truth is like the anchor that drifts along the bottom.<\/p>\n If you are hurting today I want to gently encourage you to hook to these two anchors.\u00a0 It will give you perspective.\u00a0 The Lord God can meet you and help you in your pain.\u00a0 Whether your situation is as serious as the one described in the article or not, you still need the perspective that can only be gained through the Word of God and ministry of Jesus.<\/p>\n Run to him, hook your rope to these anchors; and find peace in the midst of chaos, courage in the midst of fear, and strength in the midst of weakness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Anchor #2:\u00a0 God\u2019s truth is everlasting<\/h2>\n
Hook to the Anchors<\/h2>\n