Tag: aloud

11.

Micah 4:9   Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor? Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.” But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.

Jeremiah 30:6-7     Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale?  Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it.

Isaiah 13:8   They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.

Jeremiah 22:23    O inhabitant of Lebanon, nested among the cedars, how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you, pain as of a woman in labor!”

Isaiah 21:3    Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.

Hosea 13:10-11     Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities? Where are all your rulers— those of whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”?

Time and time again people of God have forsaken their love and devotion to Him.  He sends prophets to speak the truth, warnings, and righteousness expected.  What do they do? They still choose to disobey and turn their ears deaf to His calling to them.  Time and time again.  It is not as though they have not heard of the anger of God being displayed against people who have forsaken Him in the past.  Yet in their time of prosperity and peace, they choose to go down paths that are away from God.  They first become complacent and then neglectful and then disobedient.  It is not as though one day they woke up and said “Let us be disobedient to God.  It is a small step up on a small step upon a small step.  Our growth in Jesus Christ is word upon word, line upon line, and precept upon precept.  When we allow ourselves to become neglectful and complacent we are not adding word upon word, line upon line, or precept upon precept.  We are though, taking small steps away from God and it does not take many of these steps to lose your way and/or influence others to lose their way too.  We do well to search God’s Word for truth for our soul  We do well to search it for meaning in our lives.  We do well to seek and desire it with all our hearts, minds, and souls.  In it, we will find soul-deep satisfaction.  In it, we will find living water that will continue to purify our sinful nature.  In it, we will become aware of sin in our lives.  In it, we will find hope for today and tomorrow.  In it we will be more than conquerors, we will be God-honoring faithful, trustful, and obedient followers.

Crying and burdened heart

Psalms 77:1   I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me.  In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.  When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints.  You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.  I consider the days of old, the years long ago.  I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search:  “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?  Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time?  Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?”  Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”  I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.  I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.  Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?  You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.  You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph.  When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled.  The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side.   The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook.   Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

An aching and burdened heart lost in trials and troubles, seeking God.  You can hear their cry throughout this Psalm.  Searching for comfort that seems not to come.  You can sense the battle between what they know about God’s steadfast love and what they are feeling in the moment.  Focusing on God and not the issue is the answer but if you have ever been so low and felt so unworthy everything is out of focus.  It is a reminder also for each of us to be there for our brothers and sisters and help regain this presence / focus of God.  The old hymn as a verse “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full into His wonderful face, and the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace”