Musing

"Oh, there is, in contemplating Christ, a balm for every wound; in musing on the Father, there is a quietus for every grief; and in the influence of the Holy [Spirit] there is a balsam for every sore." Knowing God, J.I. Packer

I read this nearly two years ago according to the date on one of my many notebook pages filled with writings. The words strike me today almost as much as they did then--though perhaps in a different  way. I now have the other added benefit of knowing that if I am studying God, my mind is distracted from whatever may be "terrible" in my life today. I can get deeper than I could those two years ago, even though it seemed like I was getting deeper then. One can never fathom, nor reach, the wonders of God, who He is, and the great love and compassion He holds for us!

I recommend reading Ps 18 NIV, though I will put this section up for discussion:

³⁰ As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.
³¹ For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock except our God?
³² It is God who arms me with strength
    and keeps my way secure.
³³ He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
    he causes me to stand on the heights.
³⁴ He trains my hands for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵ You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains me;
    your help has made me great.
³⁶ You provide a broad path for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.

Basically if you flip through the psalms you will find so many passages and references to what God will do for us when we call out. It is interesting to me that so many psalms start out so incredibly miserable and uncertain--fully certain of torture or death even. However,  by the end of the psalm, the writer has found God's comfort and is singing of that to try to remind themselves (I imagine) but also others.
Isn't it true in life that if we go looking for God we find Him? The more eager we are to be with Him, to have His help in our lives, often the easier it is to find Him. There is, in a way, a begrudging note to some of our cries to Him, which I have noted in some of my calls and in others. I think it is that begrudging note, the note which says we would rather try to manage our own life in our own ways.

How often is it that we go along struggling "merrily" along, forcing our exhausted self to be the all in the world? How often do I begin to struggle with mild depression or fear because of my health? How often when that happens do I remember to call upon God versus how many times do I just try to suck it up and manage to barrel through.

Yet if deep sorrow hits, the kind of sorrow that knocks you literally to your knees...you find suddenly that the faith you thought you had was a bit on the weak side. It was real, just on the weak side.And with the struggle you suddenly face you become stronger in Him, refined by fire. 
The oldest Christians still stand out to me as such incredible people. The way they even walk somehow shows the solid belief they have in God. It as if I am literally seeing "faith".

While we were not created to face a world such as this, God can handle anything--and as such, He can most assuredly help us to handle this world through Him. After all, are we not a new creation in Christ? 
I can use a bit of the research project I am on to show this point of God's being completely for us. In covenant language, when a blood covenant is formed, there is an exchanging of robes, which signifies that "you are now part of my tribe". The next step is an exchanging of weapons, meaning that each other's enemies are now the other's---so that the evil in this world which was God's enemy is our enemy, but also that the evil in this world that is our enemy (whether we know it or not) is God's enemy. We are fully part of His family, His tribe; the evil in the world is against us, against God, but because of our covering, we will stand strong with God to the ends of time. 
Knowing that God is for us, concerned about us, and loves us does make it easier to bear the difficulties of the day. Knowing that others in our large family are concerned about us makes it easier to bear the difficulties of the day.