When everything seems dark, remember that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Only God can give you hope in the midst of challenges and spiritually wake you up.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I’ve got questions for God.
But I tell you what, my questions are nowhere near as huge or demanding as they once were. I recall one night a long time ago when I was in the hospital. Things were as dark as dark could be. Staring at the hospital ceiling from my bed, it seemed that all hope was lost. The depression was so suffocating; I just couldn’t stand it – I wanted to die, but I couldn’t. And so somewhere, somehow, I mustered enough courage to pray, “God, if I can't die, then please show me how to live.” That little prayer was short and to the point, but it cracked open the door for the Lord to work and little did I realize, He would. And it came in the form of a strange fascination, an interest in the Bible. Did the Bible really have something to say to me?! I didn’t dare believe it, but I wanted to find out.
And so, when the nurses would turn me face down on the Stryker frame (a Stryker frame is like a long flat canvas sandwich. To prevent pressure sores, they’d flip me face down for a while, then strap me in tight and flip me up, face up). Anyway, when I was turned down facing the floor, the nurse’s aide would place my Bible on a little footstool that I could reach with a mouth stick clenched between my teeth. In that position, I could easily turn the pages of my Bible with my mouth. I didn't know where to look for answers, but the Psalms really intrigued me. Especially Psalm 77. I was really fascinated with that one. Because right off it says, "Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
Oh my goodness, the Bible was talking to me. It was like, those were my exact questions. And I could hardly believe that the Bible would be that understanding; like it really had me pegged! When I read Psalm 77, I strongly identified with those seven rapid-fire questions at the beginning of the Psalm. And over time I discovered that the anguish expressed in Psalm 77 was a godly kind of anguish. It was godly because those gut-wrenching questions were turned toward the Lord. Not inward (that would only make the despair worse). No, rather, those questions were meant for God, which is so ironic because honest questions truly do honor the Lord. And you know God! He lovesto answer our challenges when they are honest and from the heart.
Psalm 34 says, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."Slowly, like a hibernating animal, there in the hospital on that Stryker frame, I began to spiritually wake up. Something stirred in my heart. It was a magnetic pull toward hope. So, friend, if you (or someone you know) is struggling against hopelessness today, if everything seems dark, follow the psalmist's example in Psalm 77. Gut-wrenching questions directed at the Lord are a way of encountering God, a way of opening yourself to the One and only someone who can actually do something about your plight. If today you are frustrated, use Psalm 77 as a path that will eventually lead you to a passionate desire to comprehend the ways of God. Something awesome hasto happen when you choose the direct line to God through Psalm 77.Read it today and begin to feel the change in your heart.
© Joni and Friends