Suffering Worship
Greetings boys and girls. So sorry for the long delay in posting. Just when you think you've recovered from the holidays, life grabs you by the shoulders and tries to shake you senseless. I think it almost worked too. This is the first day of the year I've been able to break away from the workload and come up for air. But that is a good thing. In any case, given the prayer requests which have been offered up recently, it doesn't take much to realize that suffering is taking a prominent place in many of our lives. That said, one of the hardest and greatest aspects of suffering can be maintaining deep worship throughout the experience. If suffering worship is offered up, the results will be amazing. Just ask Job.....
Read Job 6:8-10
His life seemed shattered beyond repair. Everything had been stripped away except the gaping hole in the heart which seemed to fester more with each passing minute. Such agony and loss; it was almost impossible to comprehend. Well-meaning friends tried to help, offering tidbits of advice that brought no comfort and actually patronized and condemned. Pain upon pain. This fragmented soul wanted nothing more than to dig a grave of despair in the ash heap that was now life.
Gazing heavenward, a choice had to be made. A choice to succumb to the anguish which no one seemed to understand or a choice to trust in a God who seemed to have turned His back. Every fiber of his being wanted to give into the taunting pain and yet . . . the adoration, the worship. It had always been there, had always been the life spring. And now despite the pain, the adoration could not be given up. Even in the tragedy, God could not be denied and rejoicing was necessary. Summoning up an unknown courage, anguished sobs broke forth praising the God of the universe, the Lord of these circumstances, the Holy One of his life.
Somehow, piercing through the worship, this battered life realized that the Holy One had lived this very pain with him as well. His words of rejoicing formed a healing balm for the heart, soothing the jagged edges, closing the wounds and healing the life with an adoration never before experienced. So where there was tragedy, now there was triumph. Where there was grief, now there was consolation and comfort. Where there was loss, now there was a life redeemed by the very presence of God. And what could have been wasted affliction, wasted life, became Glory revealed.
Food for Thought:
1. What do the following verses teach us about the purpose of suffering? Psalm 25:17-18; Acts 5:41; Romans 5:3-5; 1 Corinthians 12:26; 2 Corinthians 1:5-7; Philippians 3:10-11; James 1:2-3
2. What do you learn about heart attitude during suffering from these verses?
3. What does Ecclesiastes 7:3-4 mean to you?
4. Recall the most recent time you have had to endure great suffering in your life and make notes about how it affected your worship life. What would you like to do differently the next time you must experience great suffering?
Copyright © 2001 Kimberly K. Hannay
All Rights Reserved
Read Job 6:8-10
His life seemed shattered beyond repair. Everything had been stripped away except the gaping hole in the heart which seemed to fester more with each passing minute. Such agony and loss; it was almost impossible to comprehend. Well-meaning friends tried to help, offering tidbits of advice that brought no comfort and actually patronized and condemned. Pain upon pain. This fragmented soul wanted nothing more than to dig a grave of despair in the ash heap that was now life.
Gazing heavenward, a choice had to be made. A choice to succumb to the anguish which no one seemed to understand or a choice to trust in a God who seemed to have turned His back. Every fiber of his being wanted to give into the taunting pain and yet . . . the adoration, the worship. It had always been there, had always been the life spring. And now despite the pain, the adoration could not be given up. Even in the tragedy, God could not be denied and rejoicing was necessary. Summoning up an unknown courage, anguished sobs broke forth praising the God of the universe, the Lord of these circumstances, the Holy One of his life.
Somehow, piercing through the worship, this battered life realized that the Holy One had lived this very pain with him as well. His words of rejoicing formed a healing balm for the heart, soothing the jagged edges, closing the wounds and healing the life with an adoration never before experienced. So where there was tragedy, now there was triumph. Where there was grief, now there was consolation and comfort. Where there was loss, now there was a life redeemed by the very presence of God. And what could have been wasted affliction, wasted life, became Glory revealed.
Food for Thought:
1. What do the following verses teach us about the purpose of suffering? Psalm 25:17-18; Acts 5:41; Romans 5:3-5; 1 Corinthians 12:26; 2 Corinthians 1:5-7; Philippians 3:10-11; James 1:2-3
2. What do you learn about heart attitude during suffering from these verses?
3. What does Ecclesiastes 7:3-4 mean to you?
4. Recall the most recent time you have had to endure great suffering in your life and make notes about how it affected your worship life. What would you like to do differently the next time you must experience great suffering?
Copyright © 2001 Kimberly K. Hannay
All Rights Reserved
posted by Kim Hannay at 12:52 PM
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