EmmDev 2021-12-03 [Navigating Uncertainty] Suffering time

Suffering time

One of the novel innovations of a movie that was on circuit a few years ago was a filming technique called "bullet-time." The movie slowed the action down so that you could see the bullets going along at a snails pace as they flew through the air, allowing the hero to literally duck bullets.

In this Psalm David wrestles with the reality of "Suffering Time." For him it feels as though the test he is going through is lasting forever and that no end is in sight. This is a classic private lament psalm, briefly, but thoroughly exploring the terrible reality of pain and sorrow and the depression one can go through in the midst of tragedy and sadness.

Let's see how David experiences it...

1. It feels like it has been going on forever.
2. It feels as though God is intentionally hiding from him.
3. His mind is endlessly running around in circles leaving him exhausted.
4. His enemy (whether a physical enemy or his depression) keeps getting the upper hand.
5. He fears that he may get lost and succumb to the way he is feeling.
6. He doesn't want the enemy to triumph and gloat. He realises that he will be humiliated.

Have you felt like this at some point?

David makes some important choices to see him through this difficult depressive time.

1. He chooses to trust. He lights a candle of hope. He dares to believe that this suffering time is a distortion of reality and there will be a time that he gets through it.
2. He makes a heart decision to focus on God's saving acts. He focuses on God's character from what he knows rather than from what he feels.
3. He chooses to sing. Singing is something we do with our hearts and not with our heads. The wonder about singing is that the words of the songs become imprinted on our souls at a level that even our cynical thought patterns cannot erase or erode. David chooses to sing about God's goodness and provision. Singing is something we can do in the valley even when we find it hard to pray. It is the ultimate act of faith and trust.

Lord thank You that David's psalm relates so closely to the blues we can go through. Thank you that even our "down" times do not catch You by surprise and that You have made provision for them. Help us to trust-fully turn our hearts to You and sing of Your goodness. Amen

1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; 4 my enemy will say, I have overcome him, and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me. (Psalms13:1-6)

[This brings us to the end of this series - I hope it has been helpful to you. I'm going to take a break from EmmDevs for a while - I may do a short series just before Christmas, otherwise I'll see you in January! God bless and Love, Theo ]

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EmmDev 2021-12-02 [Navigating Uncertainty] Elephants...

Elephants...

Have you ever heard the illustration of the "elephant in the sitting room"? Imagine a group of people in the sitting room trying to ignore the elephant in their midst, talking about the weather or the cricket all the time twisting or bending to talk around or under the elephant!

For many Christians suffering is the "elephant in the sitting room". They are afraid to talk about it or face it, because their picture of Christ and faith is a "fair weather Christianity."

Not so with Paul. He is not afraid to talk about suffering. He is clear in his own mind that suffering does not negate or disprove the gospel. In fact, suffering highlights the strength of the Christian message!

When we are NOT surprised by suffering or fearful that its presence implies Christ's absence, then suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. And this is not a linear process, but a circular upward spiral as hope takes us to new levels of perseverance and character.

More than that! We are not left alone in our suffering - God has poured (the Greek implies "lavished") His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us.

Christianity doesn't try to ignore or explain away suffering. Suffering does not threaten the validity of faith. In the midst of pain and loss we can know a love that is completely independent of our circumstances!

...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us. (Romans5:3-5)

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EmmDev 2021-12-01 [Navigating Uncertainty] Expensive...

Expensive...

"Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?"  But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.  I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.  (Revelation5:2-7)

Revelation 4,5,6 deals with the suffering of the church over the ages. This is particularly symbolised by John's vision of a scroll with seven seals on it. The seals represent aspects of the suffering church: The white, red, black and pale horses of conquest, conflict, famine and plague; the cries of the persecuted and earthquakes.

Here in the opening of the seals we are offered a breath-taking and beautiful picture:

John is weeping because no-one can open the scroll...
Suffering is not something we can afford to be glib about.
One doesn't want to stick cheap plaster on serious wounds.
Whoever opens the seals can't be a lightweight.

Suffering is something we struggle with and whomsoever deigns to open the seals of suffering needs to have the necessary integrity, authority and comprehension of our struggle with the pain, violation and anguish that suffering causes us.

So who is capable enough to open the seals and the scroll??

Who has the credibility and integrity to open these tough seals of suffering in a worthy way?

John gets his answer: "'Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.' Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne."

Jesus is worthy to open the painful seals of suffering!

- He is the Lion of Judah who has taken on suffering and overcome

- He is the Lamb who was slain - He has tasted the worst of suffering

- He has sent the Holy Spirit ("seven spirits") into our hearts to comfort us.

Suffering is a theological, philosophical, and emotional heavyweight.
We dare not risk cheap answers.

The good and beautiful news of Revelation is that Jesus our Champion takes on the heavyweight of suffering and, at great cost, overcomes and comforts you and me.

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