Healing Rays of Righteousness

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by day, but I find no rest.” (Psalm 22:1-2).

There are many psalms that ask this same question: “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”  (Psalm 10:1). “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? (Psalm 13:1-2).

Stories of answered prayers, of successful surgery, of cancer cured, of health restored, of protection and safety in storm or threatening violence, are wonderful stories to read and hear. We rejoice with the recipients of answered prayer and praise God for His intervention and help.

However, there are times when sincere and fervent prayers are not answered, as we would desire, and we are left feeling alone and unloved – forsaken – and we ask God, “why”?

We humans often ask this unanswerable question following a tragedy in our life or community. But at no time do we ask the question with more intensity and emotion than when a young, gifted adult is taken from us by death. And that question rises to its highest intensity of pain when that person happens to be our own child. Not only is the present relationship taken from us, but also the future is emptied of dreams and expectations.

Warren Wiersbe once said, “Nothing is harder to heal than a broken heart shattered by experiences that seem so meaningless. But God’s people don’t live on explanations; God’s people live on His promises.”  I have found this to be so true.

Biblical reasons that attempt to explain the “whys”behind grief’s suffering usually do not ease the pain when you are hurting. In fact, such attempts may actually add to the pain.

It is the promises of God that encourage and reassure those who feel alone and forsaken. For the promises of God point to the loving, compassionate, “present with us” character of God and the One who sits with us in our pain.

The story is told of a little girl who got home unusually late from school one evening, only to find a daddy who was very unhappy about her lateness. He asked his little girl why she was late. She said, “Because my friend broke her dolly.”               

Her daddy then said, “Oh, okay, so you stayed with her to fix it?”  He did not expect her gentle reply, “No, Daddy, I stayed with her to help her cry.”

Can we imagine Jesus sitting with us in our anguished crying? I hope so.

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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – February 6, 2024 – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – Ray M. Geigley