All in Adversity
In deepest grief, the writer of Lamentations wrote of the destruction of his beloved city and nation. Even though his people had experienced terrible atrocities and even though they were still experiencing pain and suffering, he made an amazing statement about God: …great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23).
I was selecting lettuce in the produce section of the grocery store, when someone called my name. There stood my friend, who looked quite different from the last time I had seen him. He was thinner. He had no hair, no eyebrows, no eyelashes. This friend was being treated for cancer.
Sandwiched! Troubles behind and troubles on the horizon. We’ve all been there, right?
What is your typical response when difficulty hits?
Have you ever wrestled with God? Did you intellectually wrestle with God until you finally surrendered, believing Jesus is indeed who He claims to be? Have you wrestled with God in earnest prayer, refusing to let go of that which you believe to be God’s will?
Hezekiah, king of Judah, was one of the few kings to earn the distinction of doing what was right in God’s eyes. His father, Ahaz, however, did not. Ahaz established idol worship in Judah, encouraging God’s people to sin.
Well, Hosea did as God told him to and married Gomer. She conceived and bore him a son, a daughter, and another son (1:3). Then things went awry. Gomer became restless, in spite of the love of Hosea: “I will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink” (2:5). She had totally forgotten who had rescued her, protected her, loved her, and supplied all her needs.
The withered little plant appeared dead, but I smiled and accepted the gift in faith. A friend assured me that it only needed planting and watering. Even though my faith floundered, my friendship did not. So, I dutifully complied.
The tiny pond needed fish and could provide the perfect habitat for Koi, those large multi-colored goldfish. Feeding them would provide such fun for the grandkids. The adventure began with four Koi fingerlings.
My youthful father transformed rugged acreage into a small working ranch. The five springs on the property helped him envision the land’s potential.
On my morning walk, I passed a neighbor walking the opposite direction. I greeted her and asked how she was doing. She paused and replied, “I’m making it.” I understood her response. Her life has become complicated because of her mother’s failing health.
She finished reading the book and declared, “It was a journey I didn’t like being on.” Using that statement to describe a book is no big deal. But for many of us, that statement describes a complicated life situation that we can do nothing about. Many of us are on journeys we don’t like.
What battles have you faced recently? A dispute with a friend or co-worker? A fight with a family member? A health fear?
The last time I recall seeking help with everything-within-me was in a dream -- actually a nightmare. A vicious snake coiled up at my feet and held me frozen with his gaze. I called for help, but no one heard me. With all my physical strength, I filled my lungs with air, then screamed H-E-L-P! with everything within me. I awoke to a pounding heart and a sweaty night shirt. I still vividly recall the emotion of that dream—that moment of desperation.
After years of being away, Jacob was headed home with his family and possessions. As he neared Canaan, he was told that Esau was coming toward him with 400 men. Jacob and Esau had not parted on good terms. Was Esau coming for revenge?
When my husband and I surrendered to ministry, our lives became harder than ever before. Everything started breaking, including cars, furniture and appliances…big stuff on a very limited budget.
I watched my friend, Virginia, as she greeted friends at Sid’s funeral. He had suffered a stroke and fought a futile battle for life for several months. How difficult it was for a wife to watch as her husband suffered. Now he was gone.
“Mrs.___, have you fallen lately?” Young people have yet to encounter that question. My husband and I have. We laugh when we share the experience because as a couple we average about three or four falls a year. We fall off ladders, in flower beds, down stairs, and sometimes for no reason. Welcome to the world of seniors.
Not long ago, we had an ice storm. Layers of ice weighed down bare tree branches. They looked like bony fingers reaching toward the ground. The snapping and groaning of limbs was eerie. Many trees plummeted to the ground, unable to endure the stress.
And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land (2:10). Whew, a bit of drama! In my mind’s eye I see Jonah shaking off the gastric juices of that big fish with a shudder. What a relief!
So the people climbed the hill and got the wood (1:8), and the work on the house of the LORD began in earnest. A month into the rebuild, Haggai spoke again: “‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem like nothing?’” (2:3).
