“My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long” (Psalm 6:3 NIV)
God only knows how long the anguish will continue. One thing is true, whatever is going on in your life, there is always good with the bad. Deep anguish is something we will all experience. I still hear myself scream when I found out my nephew had died. I remember the gut wrenching tears as I wept for my loss. When I think back on that time, I felt like my tears would never stop. But mixed in with the anguish, I experienced good.
In the midst of my anguish, God was with me. I felt His presence more acutely in my moments of grief than I do in my moments of joy. He wrapped His arms around me with the people He surrounded me with at that time. My husband has held me for countless hours as tears have flowed from my eyes. Friends travelled from long distances to put their arms around my family. People surrounded us in our grief, lifting us up, giving us strength, helping us move forward. The more the news spread, the more people who came. In our anguish, God’s presence is near.
In our anguish, God’s presence is near.
A couple of years ago, I completed a study of Job, written by Lisa Harper. One of my favorite lessons was about the veil. She talks of a thin veil which separates the physical world from the spiritual world. When we are in deep anguish, the veil gets thinner. We can see God more clearly because of our pain. We hear God better in our anguish:
“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” C.S. Lewis
When we are in pain, we turn to God for answers. Often, we don’t receive the answers we want. Instead, we receive what we need. God sends His angels to surround us in our time of distress. People who will carry us through the darkest night. When we are alone in the darkness, we have this blessed assurance:
“In my distress I cried to the Lord, and he heard me.” (Psalm 120:1 NIV)
God is with you in your anguish. He hears your cries. He is sending in the troops to help you through whatever difficulty you are experiencing. His presence is closer in the midst of your pain. The veil is thinner. Your heartache is His heartache. He is the One who can heal our brokenness.
Anguish is a part of life. How long it lasts, God only knows. Our pain draws us closer to Him. In Him, we’ll find the light we need to survive.
Question of the Day:
How has anguish brought you closer to God?
Further Reading: 1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81 NIV, Acts 26:1-32 NIV, Psalm 6 NIV, Proverbs 18:20-21 NIV
