I’ve seen it time and time again. We’re in the throes of turmoil and cry out to God, “If you’re listening, Lord, please come to my rescue!” Then we wait, and…nothing.
Some think because we don’t immediately receive an answer from God, He doesn’t care enough about us to bother. We begin to see Him as cold and heartless. Aloof, sitting emotionless on His throne, not exactly hating us, but not loving us enough to get His hands dirty and help us.
Yeah, I’ve felt like that, and, were I a betting man, I’d wager you have, too.
Oh, many of us love Him, determined not to turn our back on him, but somewhere in the recesses of our spirit, we feel He is, as Al Pacino says in “The Devil’s Advocate,” an “absentee landlord.”
What would you say if I told you nothing could be further from the truth? When feelings like this begin to creep into my mind, I’ve found it’s helpful to gather a list of Bible verses which talk about the Lord’s deep and never-ending love for me. I try to read these affirmations multiple times, so the truth of His word will come alive in me. Try this sometime and you’ll begin to see the truth: God’s love runs so deep He allowed His son to be tortured, murdered, just so He could be closer to us.
The problem is many of us aren’t willing to see past our own fragmented souls. We’re buried in muck, and let’s face the facts; it’s easier to wallow in the mud than it is to climb out of the pit. Some even find comfort in misery, searching in desperation for pity from others, when in truth, we find our greatest strength when we dare to look past our own doom and gloom, and reach into the fire to help others.
God wants us to be conquerors, not cowards. That’s what His son, Jesus, chose to be. He stood toe-to-toe with the Pharisees, the religious leaders of His day. For the strength Jesus displayed to the Pharisees, check this verse out:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like a grave that has been washed white. You look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside you are full of moldering bones and decaying rot (Matthew 23:27, emphasis mine).”
This is the tough side of God; Jesus, the Conqueror. But like all great leaders, He cares deeply for His children. Here are just a few of the plethora of scriptures which trumpet God’s everlasting love for His people:
“The Lord your God is with you, a Powerful One Who wins the battle. He will have much joy over you. With His love He will give you new life. He will have joy over you with loud singing (Zephaniah 3:17).”
“When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you (Isaiah 43:2).”
“We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan (Romans 8:28).”
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10).”
And my personal favorite:
“He heals those who have a broken heart. He heals their sorrows (Psalm 147:3).”
Stand strong in God’s love, child. Dare to be the kindhearted warrior He’s called you to be. A holy rebel, combating the darkness. We all have our times when the ground is wet with our tears. It’s healthy to release the anguish, just so we don’t park an RV in this land of misery.
Let the suffering be purged, then rise and go forth in love, for God cares more deeply for us than we can fathom.
Broken People 