As human beings, we want things. Some things that are good, and some things that are bad. Either way, when we want something, we want it now. We lack patience in so many areas of our lives.
At work about two weeks ago, I was speaking with a co-worker. He was telling me a little bit about his life and what his reason for moving to North Carolina was. He told me his dad got a job here. Then I asked what his mom does for a living, and he informed me that she had passed away sometime ago, but before she died she was a nurse. We continued working and the I kept thinking of how hurt I would be if I lost someone who was close to me. How would I respond? I would be so devastated to lose my future wife, a parent, a sibling, a friend, etc. Would I respond with rebellion towards the Lord, or would I run to Him for comfort.
"Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted." - Matthew 5:4
We are humans, and we have emotions. We experience hurting, heart breaks, pain, and mourning. When our hearts are broken, we want them healed and healed immediately because it hurts so bad. We settle for the "quick fix". We will do anything to not feel the pain of the loss of a loved one, or a divorce, or a breakup, or whatever causes our heart grief. Something so painful to our hearts will take time to heal, but we want the pain gone now so we will turn to alcohol, sex, drugs, money, food, or anything to give us that "quick fix" and we numb our hearts to the pain. We turn from true healing only found in Jesus and we go to the "broken cisterns, that cannot hold water" (Jeremiah 2:13). These quick "fixes" that we turn to do not heal our hearts, they just simply numb the pain. The hurt is still there, but that quick high numbs us for a short time. We are simply too impatient.
Jesus is not in the business of numbing the pain and covering it up. He's in the business of healing that pain. His healing is usually longer than we hope.
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord." - Psalm 27:14
Waiting for the Lord, especially in difficult, mournful times, isn't easy. It takes patience and it takes us leaning into Him. It takes us saying, "You must increase, I must decrease." But why? Why do we have to wait? Why can't He just heal us and make this pain go away fast and for good? I don't have the definite answer. I'm not God. I can't give you His reasons, but I can tell you that He moves with compassion (Mark 1:41). He sees ours tears and He feels our pain. But in those difficult times we don't know if He hears our cries for help. Sometimes at night I look up at the sky and I see the stars everywhere, shining bright. Then there are nights when I walk outside and I can't even see the glimpse of a star, but I know the stars are still there, the clouds are just blocking my view. There are times when I feel the Lord working and shaping my heart and then there are times when I can't trace Him because there are some clouds in my way. Genuine, authentic healing takes time. There is no quick "fix" when you lose someone your close to or have a tragic event happen in your life, you either turn to the things of this world and you sear the pain or you turn to Jesus where there is true healing. So why turn to Jesus?
"But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31
And on that day when He returns to redeem His children from this broken world and mortal body...
"They will no longer hunger; they will no longer thirst; the sun will no longer strike them, nor will any heat. For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne will shepherd them; He will guide them to springs of living waters, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." - Revelation 7:16-17
Stephen
