And depression born of unemployment, rejection, and outright despair consumed him.
Friends prayed. Family prayed. Yet, door knocks remained door closed.
The prayers of the righteous continued, reaching towards the heavens, upholding the arms of the one too weary to raise them himself.
And then it happened.
The Lord God responded.
"I removed his shoulder from the burden; His hands were freed from the baskets. You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah [Contention]" ~ Psalm 81:6,7.
Out of the glorious heavens the Lord reached down and touched him with grace - that beautiful undeserved favor set ablaze through the Cross. Redemption secured the downtrodden to his Father's mighty hand. Magnificent, holy love lifted him above his enemies and nestled him beneath the shadow of God's wing.
Peace flowed. Laughter followed. And hope rose from the ashes of despair.
An absence of employment remains and rejection still stings a bit, but no longer are the shoulders sagging from the weight of the burden. The Lord carries that which is too much for the man. The Light of Jesus shines through the once dimmed eyes and is reflected in the man's renewed language of praise. Out of the thunder the Spirit of God booms, "My child, I am with you. Do not be afraid. Rest in Me. Trust Me. I have given you a future of hope and well-being. My plan is unfolding and, even now, has great purpose. Rejoice in Me always. You are Mine."
Beloved, He speaks to you also from the secret place of His thunder. He gives the healing and grace your heart hungers for. He offers hope when you've lost your way.
And with great tenderness He reaches from heaven and lifts the yoke from your shoulders - the weight that seeks to break the back of even the strongest child of God.
Be still and know that He is God. If God be for you, who can dare to be against you?
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Good Morning my Friend! My husband is also job-less for over a year now, so I understand what you are going through. It stinks. But how wonderful that the response is now so much more trust...and even joy! I think that I am finally starting to lay it all at his feet. It takes a long time for me.
ReplyDeleteCome on over and see the video I put up on my blog. I think you'll really like it. I know I did. I keep watching it, it's so uplifting! We can all use that, right?
Hugs to you, my giggle twin :)
Ceil
You are so right - the lessons we're learning are priceless. These are lessons we can carry into the days ahead to not only encourage ourselves, but to encourage others. God alone is our refuge, our provider, our source of all things good. I'll check out the video this evening. Can't wait!
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