Cry Out
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:26-28
There was a song that went, “Momma said there’d be days like this.” But what if the day is not just a day? What if the day has become weeks? I can vouch for many an occasion where the wave of bad news or stress points seemed like an endless cycle that went on and on. Sometimes, you just want to cry for help. I remember a movie years ago called ‘Leap Of Faith’ starring Steve Martin, who played a preacher Jonas, the leader of a travelling revival ministry. To cut to the point, the ministry stops at a town suffering from a severe drought of rain. When posed the most obvious prayer request question, Steve Martin replies, “You ask me, ‘When is it going to rain?’ I ask you, ‘When is it going to stop?’”
What do we do? Acknowledgment that there is a problem is often ignored but must be done. A phrase that has been thrown around a lot, but I have come to realize is absolutely true is, “It’s okay to say you’re not okay.” We all want to hold this façade that to the outside world, everything is fine. Even on the inside, we talk to ourselves with narratives like ‘You are stronger than this’ or ‘You can do everything.’ I mention that last one because there is a catch. Philippians 4:13 says, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” We can see why pride is such a deadly sin. It gives glory to us rather than to the one who deserves all the glory. Is it any wonder why we crumble and fall? If you are like me, we must remember that it is okay to crumble and fall if it is to our knees in reverence to the one who ultimately gives us strength to endure.
Acknowledging our weakness to God is what gives us the strength to endure. Today’s verses are quite simple yet powerful. Its focus is on our future in Heaven and the suffering of now. It is a reminder of how everything works toward God’s purpose for those who follow Him. As I focus on this very point, we all know when we are under duress that God is a place of refuge. We might refer to the leafy plant God provide Jonah or God’s reassurance to Moses that through all he would face that He would be with him. But we are taught to live a life like Jesus Christ, and like all teachers, He provides us great instruction. When faced with the prospect of His crucifixion, He did not rely on His own power. He reached out to our Heavenly Father. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Mark 14:36) This verse should ground us from being too proud when enduring our own stress in life. If our savior is willing to cry out, why would we not?
God is our provider in all circumstances. We may have a huge wealth of strength and grit to endure troubling times or have dealt with circumstances far greater than what we might be dealing with now. The goal here is not to tell you to just deal with it. My point is to say to rely on the Father just as those who had far greater mountains to climb and much greater burdens. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29) Let us lay our burdens down and take heart in our God, who as Paul said, “causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Where are you struggling today? What ‘rain or drought’ in your life can you lay at the feet of the Father today? My prayer is that we do not suffer alone. We simply cry out to the Father. Amen.