To The Afflicted And Wounded

Some people breeze through life without a care in the world. But others, trouble after trouble, disaster after disaster, failure after failure. They do everything that can be done, to no avail. They have been rained upon by life, to the extent that if you squeeze them, its double trouble upon trouble that oozes out.

The Bible calls them “The afflicted ones’’, “ the ones tossed with tempest, and not comforted”.

The parable of JESUS narrates the pathetic tale of Lazarus, so pathetic the dogs licked his wounds. There was no respite or healing for Lazarus. He died in that state. The angels carried him for comfort to Abraham’s bosom.

Yes, I’m talking to the ones totally forsaken and grieved in spirit. You have given up. Please note, this is not one of those GOD will lift you up sermons. I’m sure you have heard many like that, but your circumstances have not changed. In fact they have worsened. Even your pastors, don’t know what to do with you. They see you and flee, you are like a bad smell, a stench even among believers and you know it. They say all sorts of things about you and you know it. They even say God has forsaken you. And deep down, you agree with them but you know it’s not true. You have tried everything. It just doesn’t work.

To make matters better or worse, you really truly love The LORD. You know that JESUS is absolutely amazing, beyond WONDERFUL, that’s who HE is, but HE never does what you ask HIM. When you cry, HE looks at you, sometimes HE cries with you and sometimes HE asks you why are you crying? So, you said, “ I’ll never cry again” . Then you heard the preacher say that GOD stores your tears in a bottle. Well then, the store with the bottle of your tears must be overflowing. “Ok, so LORD, give me more tears!” This is a good thing, right? But why won’t HE answer me? In reality you are asking’ “LORD, why won’t you do my will?” You know the answer to that. And then you don’t know any more and you are just there.

So, your affliction continues. You are too wise to abandon The LORD, but this is almost too much. You know it’s HIS grace holding you. You want to say, “ LORD , keep YOUR grace but answer me” but you know how to hold your tongue, this is The LORD we are talking about. You just don’t run your mouth like some fool. It’s almost too much. You think of Job, you try to be lifted and comforted by his story but you are old, your childbearing years are over, you have no siblings and you are immobile. Your companion left and remarried three times over, and then you heard they died. It looks finished. It looks like the fat lady sang a long time ago. You feel like the definition of hopelessness.

What can I tell you, Beloved?

i.) Good. You are rooted and grounded in The LORD stay that way. Don’t go to the left or right. Keep your name in the LAMB’s book of life. Don’t seal your doom like King Saul by visiting the enemies of GOD or doing some other stupid thing.

ii.) Sing . You see that JESUS song you like, that church song, that praise song, that hymn, sing it. Sing it , even if when you sing it , it sounds like a mournful dirge, just sing. The point is , Beloved, sing! Ok, you lost your voice. Look for a gadget that can play that song and play it. Sing,” The storm is over now” even though you feel the storm is endless or just starting afresh. Sing along. Try dance a little, ok, you can’t dance, twitch to the beat. Beloved, may The LORD ALMIGHTY step in and help you in this, in JESUS NAME. AMEN

iii.) There’s someone worse than you somewhere. There’s someone you can help. Help them. Even pathetic Lazarus, helps us by becoming a subject in a parable, a teaching point.

iv.) Wait graciously for whatever The LORD has in store for you. Yes, it could be over in this life, but HE is never-ending and He is faithful, who knows what HE is up to? No eye has seen, no ear has heard.

v.) Don’t stop believing. Don’t stop hoping. Don’t stop praying, like that annoying woman JESUS talked about, yes, the one with a wicked judge who did not fear GOD or man. But at the end of the day, she got what she wanted.

vi.) Don’t stop loving. Ok, people are unlovable. Love JESUS, HE has a way of oozing out love that flows to you, through you and into others. Because you love HIM, you will do what HE says.