God knows

I think some people have a picture of God as this detached, cold, and indifferent deity; a god that is unmoved by the troubles of humanity.  Or perhaps they believe God is too busy or distracted to notice their private pain.  I can envision someone, with tears streaming down their cheeks, angrily crying out in frustration, “God, don’t you see that I’m in pain?  Do you even care?”  The answer to that emotional question is a resounding yes.  God sees, knows, and understands your immense suffering.  The reason I know this is because that’s what the Bible says.

Psalm 56:8 has been an important verse to me, but now that I’m in this new season of life without my dad it is very near and dear to my heart.  This verse reads, “You keep track of my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle.  You have recorded each one in your book” (NLT). So you are in a room in your house and the tears begin to flow.  You think you are alone and that no one sees these tears but the truth is God sees them.

 

Do you think that God is ignorant of your tears, or that God is oblivious to your pain?  Hear the word of the Lord.  “You keep track of my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle.  You have recorded each one in your book.”  The Bible says that God is intimately aware of every single shed tear.  Not one escapes His notice.  God isn’t so busy with the big calamities of this world that He somehow missed the pain you are in.  God knows.

Furthermore, I've been thinking about Jesus' attitude and demeanor as He interacted with His friends Mary and Martha, regarding the death of their brother, Lazarus.  Look at these words from John 11: “When Jesus saw her [that is, Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled” (John 11:33; NIV).  Underscore that.  Underline it.  Jesus was moved in His spirit and troubled by the pain of His friends.  
In verse 34, Jesus asks where they laid the body of Lazarus, they show Him; upon seeing him, the text says, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).  This is the shortest verse in all the Bible, but it's a wonderful verse, particularly when you understand its context.  Someone will point out that Jesus ultimately revives Lazarus.  It's true.  But don’t miss the fact that Jesus, God incarnate (God in human flesh), wasn’t indifferent to the pain of others.  Don’t think that God is indifferent to your pain, either.

Kevin

Bittersweet holiday number 2

I’ve previously talked about the 2002 TV show “Birds of Prey”.  I'm well aware that this show has its flaws, but I still enjoy it for a lot of reasons.  One of those reasons is Dinah Meyer's portrayal of the character of Barbara Gordon A.K.A. Oracle.  She is spot on.

In an episode entitled “Lady Shiva” Barbara comments to Alfred that she is no longer the hero that she once was (meaning she is no longer Batgirl, thanks to a bullet from the Joker).  Alfred surprises Barbara by responding, “Thank goodness.”  He explains, “Batgirl was strong, but impetuous.”  He goes on to speak about how she has matured since those Batgirl days; she now had, as he put it, “a capacity to care more for others than you do for yourself.  Now if that’s not a hero I don’t know what is.”

The reason I’m bringing this up is because today is another bittersweet day.  Today would have been my dad’s 61st birthday.  As I was thinking about how to honor his memory on this day, one of the things that came to my mind was Alfred’s apt description of a hero.  Let me quote it once again; he said a hero is someone who has “a capacity to care more for others than you do for yourself.”  My dad did that.  He rarely took time for himself because he was so focused on the needs of others.  My father was clearly a hero in every sense of the word.

Dad, on this special birthday blog, I want to tell you that we can feel your absence.  We see afresh everything that you did for your family, friends, and coworkers.  Your unexpected homecoming has created a void, and a hole in our hearts.  We miss you.  I miss you.  But I know that I will see you again one day in Heaven.  Until then, in the strength of the Lord, I will press on.

Kevin