THE LORD HATH HEARD THE VOICE OF MY WEEPING.
8/4/2013
PAIN PASSES, BUT BEAUTY REMAINS
Pierre Auguste Renoir is a famous French artist who lived in the late 19th century to the early 20th century. He was known for his paintings, mostly depicting family life. But there was one disease that tormented this gifted artist -- he had arthritis that plagued him to the tip of his fingers. Every time he painted, each stroke of brush meant grimacing pain due to his arthritis. It took him quite a time to finish one painting, a masterful work of art. One of his friends pitifully consoled him to stop painting and shift his passion in arts and focus on his health, for it did seem a great struggle against pain whenever he held his brush and start another piece of art. But Renoir, with great display of passion, answered, "The Pain passes away but the Beauty remains."
Every time we face painful experience, we must answer with hope on our faces, "The pain will pass away ultimately, but the beauty of character that it would produce in me will remain."
Psalms 6 KJV
In Psalm 6, David was a weeping prophet. This Psalm is one of his lamentations: it was penned in a time of great trouble, both outward and inward!
The Psalmist David experienced hopeless despair as he struggled with his own failures, the attacks of others, and the disappointments of life.
6:1 To the chief Musician on Neg'-i-noth upon Shem'-i-nith, A Psalm of David.
O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?
4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.
10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.
Growth & maturity come through stress & strain & struggle as we endeavor to live the Christian life.
When you are "between a rock & a hard place," then turn to Psalms, because it ministers to us in a most amazing way.
ILL. When Martin Luther was surrounded by enemies he read this Psalm & then wrote the great hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." He saw the tremendous power of God as "a bulwark never failing." Regardless of what happens in the world there is still the strength & power & might of God.
The Lord Hears
Our God often does His greatest work behind the scenes
Our God Values Every Human Life
Our God does Not Need Human Strength to Accomplish His Purposes
Pain Comes and Goes, But God Stays
The Lord knows our pain.
The Lord knows when we are in pain without us telling him.
The Lord knows how we will react because of the pain.
The Lord even knows how much of the pain the can handle.
Sometime God gives us pain for a reason.
God gives us pain sometimes to teach us a lesson.
Sometimes we are put in pain for not listening to him.
Then sometimes we are put in pain to make us grow.
God won’t put more on us then we can bare.
God knows how much pain that we can handle.
God won’t put more pain on us then we can handle.
God gives us pain at time because he loves us.
God won't put more on you than you can bare!
Someone said that 3 words can summarize how most of us spend our lives hurrying, worrying, & scurrying.
A. “I’m in a hurry and God is not”
B. Simplicity is the answer for people tired and weary. Simplicity is marked by a contented lifestyle that rests in God’s grace. It is the commitment to clear out, scale down, and realize the essentials of what we truly need to live well. The intimate search for wholeness is not found by accumulating more things, but by entering into God’s presence every single day.
C. WHEN TO SAVE A DROWNING MAN
Watchman Nee tells the story of his stay in China with twenty other Christians. The bathing accommodations were inadequate in the home where they were lodging, so they went for a daily dip in the river.
On one occasion, one of the men got a cramp in his leg and began sinking fast. Mr. Nee motioned to one of the other men, who was an excellent swimmer, about the drowning man. To his astonishment, however, the man did not move. He just stood there and watched the drowning man.
Mr. Nee was agitated, but the swimmer was calm and collected. Meanwhile, the voice of the drowning man grew fainter and more desperate. Mr. Nee hated the swimmer who just stood and watched on the shore when he could have jumped into the river and rescued the drowning man. As the drowning man went under for what looked like the last time, the swimmer was there in a moment, and both were soon safely on shore.
After the rescue, Mr. Nee chewed out the swimmer, accusing him of loving his life too much and being selfish. The response of the swimmer revealed, however, he knew what he was doing. He told Watchman that if he had gone too soon, the drowning man would have put a death grip on him and they would have both drowned in the river, and he was right. He told Mr. Nee that a drowning man cannot be saved until he is utterly exhausted and ceases to make the slightest effort to save himself.
Such is the case with our groaning. When we stop trying to save ourselves, then the Lord can step in and save us when we yield to Him. When you see the struggle that is a sign that you’re sensitive to sin and that is where God can help you.
CONCLUSION:
We serve a God who CARES about our troubles and who HEARS us when we cry out to Him.
• Our God is always working behind the scenes to bring about His purposes in YOUR life.
• Our God cares deeply about YOU … even from the time when you were a helpless infant, God has had His protective Hand on you.
• God is always near & available to us. God never puts us on hold. We may be on hold on the telephone, on hold at the red light, on hold at the bank as we deposit our money, on hold in the post office line, & on hold at the supermarket.
• God’s power is greater than anything in all this world. Greater than winds or storms, or earthquakes, or volcanoes. There is no greater power. God’s power is sufficient to win the victory over all the enemies that come our way.
• Finally, remember to keep your hope in God
Hope shines brightest when the hour is darkest.
Hope motivates when discouragement comes.
Hope energizes when the body is tired.
Hope sweetens while bitterness bites.
Hope sings when all melodies are gone.
Hope believes when evidence is eliminated.
Hope listens for answers when no one is talking.
Hope climbs over obstacles when no one is helping.
Hope endures hardship when no on is caring.
Hope smiles confidently when no one is laughing.
Hope reaches for answers when no one is asking.
Hope presses toward victory when no one is encouraging.
Hope dares to give when no one is sharing.
Hope brings the victory when no one is winning.
- John Maxwell from Think on These Things –
