Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.
“But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. He provides rain for the earth; he sends water on the countryside. The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away. . . . Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” Job 5:7-13,17
One of my favorite characters in The Peanuts Gang comic is little Pig Pen. For obvious reasons, the poor little boy needs a bath! Every where he goes a cloud of dust follows him and hovers over all he does. Rarely do you hear a complaint from any of his friends, they just know . . . that’s Pig Pen.
I’d like to think I resonate with another of those famous characters however. Maybe I feel more like Linus with his security blanket or Charlie Brown for his lack of self-confidence. Perhaps Snoopy for his perseverance would serve as a better likeness. And then of course, there are times I relate best with their teacher . . . mumbling something not worth listening to. But in reality, more often than not, I relate with Pig Pen. Not for the smell, but for that crazy dark cloud that seems to follow me everywhere I go at times. Maybe you can relate.
That dark cloud often gets translated into a phrase we most commonly refer . . . Life Sucks! When everything goes against us, fighting life becomes exhausting and gaining ground is something foreign. When it happens enough, too much for our liking, there seems to be an overarching theme that sets into our minds. It’s a tone we do not like, but nonetheless, listen to. It says to us, almost unnoticed, that God must not be present since life sucks so badly. In fact, it is drilled into our belief that if life sucks, then God must or even can’t be present. The two are mutually exclusive.
Oh, how our hearts are so tender and deceived so easily. The TRUTH is that even in the midst of life that sucks, God is there! His heart is ever so aware of our burdens and stands ready to fellowship in our suffering. The fall of man made life suck and since then sucky things happen each and every day! But even then, God promised us He would never leave us nor forsake us. It truly defines what it means to have peace amidst the stress. All that sucks in our life, sucks to God as well and He desires nothing more than our hearts in middle of life’s valleys and celebrations.
Thank you, Lord Jesus for never giving up on me and most of all, never leaving me. Thank you for joining me each morning for coffee and riding around town from place to place. Thank you for sitting at the table with me and my family and resting each evening by my side. Thank you Lord for hearing my complaints and disgruntlement. Thank you for smiling and laughing when my heart sings in moments of joy. Thank you for being there, even when life sucks!
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
by: Mark Cruver