6/13/13- When God or the Church or Prayer Don't Work

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
    by night, but I find no rest...
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
    you are the one Israel praises.
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame...
  all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
    declaring to a people yet unborn:
    He has done it! (Psalm 22) 

Thoughts: What happens when it appears that God doesn't work?  What happens if our worst fears come true?  Maybe we lose our health, our job, our friend, our spouse, our hopes and dreams.  What happens when all the prayers we prayed for so long do not come true?  What happens when the Church pours salt on the wounds and lets you down?  When our gold has been refined, we still have God.  When the "thorn" is still in us- torturing us- there is still a Comforter.
    Psalm 22 is often quoted as a Psalm of despair.  Indeed, even the New Testament writers quoted it and Jesus quoted it as referring to the ultimate torture- the crucifixion.  Christ quoted it on the cross, "MY God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"  There are times when we all go through the "dark night of the soul."  I have been through them many times.  Fear and evil reign; worry conquers common sense and trust in God.  Jesus faced such a time in the Garden of Gethsemane when he was alone, crying tears of blood and heartache saying, "Father if it is possible may this cup pass from me."  That is our cry- "take our thorn!"  "Help my loved one!"  "Ease this cross!"  
     God, prayer, and the Church are no magic lamp.  But often God shows us His care in the midst of the heartache. Perhaps it is a reprieve, or a small miracle, or some respite while we are in our heartache and body-ache.  But in the end- we are not God- and He is not our Jeannie-slave.  
     If I may boldly say so, even thinking of God "Not working" for me- is a sign of unfaith. For God does not exist or "work" for me- we are to exist and work for God.  I am not the center or the God of the universe.  Sometimes our limits- physically and spiritually teach us.  Sleep for example, teaches us every day that we have limits to our work and bodies. We have to let go of our day- our worries- our thoughts and trust.  We have to adjust to the realities of the universe. Sleep, weakness, not having all we want, pain, and human death- is a part of life.  However, the ultimate is not pain and death but eternal life and joy- hope fulfilled. There is a day when there are no more tears.
     The ultimate sign of love for God is when we can say, "Not my will, but thine be done."  Or when we can agree that "God's grace is sufficient- and His strength shines in our weakness."  Those who are faith-less cannot understand.  It makes no sense to trust God even when there are no grapes on the vine or no cattle in the pens (Habakkuk 3:17).  As our bodies learn to submit to their finitude in sleep, so our souls need to learn to submit to their finitude in facing the crosses and heartaches of life.  Christians submit to the crosses- sickness, economic hardship, heartache, even martyrdom knowing that there is a resurrection.  We are called to trust God despite our cross.  We are all eventually called to let go of this life- and its heartaches and hold on to God.  A bit like the flying trapeze artist lets go- believing their partner will catch them.  We indeed walk by faith- not by sight. 

Prayer: Help me to face my cross, my thorn, my sadness with faith and trust in you, O Lord.  Let me let go- and hold to you with all my might. 

Music to listen to: "There Will Be a day"  by Jeremy Camp