Psalm 13 How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
6 I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
There are tragedies that send us running to God and questioning why? Sorrow fills our hearts and we ask God where is He. Yet, as David concludes in this Psalm and every other, God is right there. He stands with open arms to receive all who would turn to Him and receive mercy and grace. Sorrow will always be a part of our life on this earth; because mankind has chosen the darkness of their own hearts rather than to stand in the light of God’s Glory. Mankind prefers to trust in his own egotistical heart rather than acknowledge his own need of a Savior; therefore, evil continues to increase in this world that so surrounds us. Yet, our Savior and High Priest does not stand so far away that He cannot understand our grief. Just as Isaiah had prophesied of Christ: He came and bore upon Himself the sorrows and iniquities of us all.
Isaiah 53: 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Christ bore the wrath against sin that perfect Righteousness and Justice demand. As we search for those responsible for the bombings yesterday, we cry out for justice; that the perpetrators of such acts be punished. Rightly so. We can fully understand the need for justice and wrath against evil when we see such acts of cowardly violence. Yet, we seem to want to request that God in mercy just forgive all our sins without our accepting the gift of atonement that He has offered through His son. Do we see our own guilt as so little before the throne of heaven? Do we see the Glory of His Righteousness as so dim that we cannot see the darkness within each of our hearts? Yet, we have a high priest whom we may cry out to. Jesus Christ bore our sins upon the cross and only asks that we come to Him in true repentance, seeking Him so that we might be saved. He understands our sorrows, our infirmities, and our frailties; yet, He has loved us and wants to provide grace for our time of need. Will you come to Him today? Oh, that the eyes of your hearts may be opened; so that you might see a glimpse of His Glory; seeking and savoring Christ with all your heart, your mind and your soul.
Hebrews 4: 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
A Soldier Wounded
by Effie Barba
A Soldier wounded in the fight
Oh Lord I need your strength, Your might
I need to go, a place to hide
That draws me closer to Your side
This battle lord has knocked me down
Until it’s hard to glimpse Your crown
With evil pushing all around
I dearly need Your solace found
That I might rise again to fight
With vision of the brilliant light
Of your great glory in the end
On that your love I might depend
Within this world, pain doth abound
I need your word my mind surround
Until I cannot hear their voice
So I might know what is your choice
Oh Lord, I lay my sword tonight
And pray for strength tomorrow’s light
That I might stand once more for you
With Christ’s dear love my only view
So hold me tight within your arms
And keep me safe from all that harm
My tears may fall against your chest
My Father’s love in which to rest
And when the dawn of morning sun
Doth signal forth that night is done
A song of praise my lips to sing
A joyfilled hope found in my King