I'm having a hard time reconciling the God who sees with what I am seeing right now.
The needs on my prayer list are heartbreaking. The devastation from last night's tornadoes is terrible. It's hard for me to see and not act. Yet, kids still get cancer, families still lose their dad and sisters in the tornadoes, homes are still leveled, people are still jobless, homes still don't sell, babies still die, marriages still break, hearts hurt, hope dies, friends move away and apart ...
And I see this. Every bit of it. But from where He sits, God sees, oh so much more. I can't fathom how His heart doesn't just burst.
I know He also sees the bigger purpose. His time is eternity, not our finite years on earth. He sees bigger. But I feel like He also feels bigger as well. How His heart must break. This wasn't' His plan, you know. Not before sin. :(
John 16:33 tells us, ""I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
This life is just hard. Even sharing these words today with a friend in the depths of the hard, the words seemed to not offer much courage or much hope. I'm ready to see the overcome!! I'm ready to see the healing. I'm ready to see the answers. I'm ready.
I'm intrigued by Hagar's naming of the God who sees. Because He didn't make Sarai stop abusing her. This was not the last time she would run away to the desert. God saw her, but that didn't make her life easier or perfect. God sees us in our pain and need, but that doesn't always mean the pain stops or the need goes away. But it is a reminder that we are not in this alone. The family who lost their home, their Dad, and two daughters last night will never be the same, but they will also never be alone.
As much as the idea of God seeing us in our need has struck a chord with me this year, so have the lyrics of this song, as I've prayed them over many friends and needs these past few months. He is always faithful and we are never alone. He sees, He knows ... He overcomes. And we are not alone. So ... back to last week's theme. Each step in the hard stuff (and the easy) ... breathing in your grace, breathing out your praise. Never alone.
Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we've come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us
Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You've done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore well be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
No comments:
Post a Comment