“{Pain} removes the veil, it plants the flag of truth within the
fortress of a rebel soul.” ~C.S.Lewis
Lent is a sacred season, as
we remember our Lord Jesus,
our suffering Servant.
Jesus suffered as a thing to be despised;
rejected by man, a man of sorrows,
and familiar with suffering.
The Prince of Peace was perceived as
someone punished, struck by God and brought low.
Jesus suffered for us, Luther writes.
“Son to the mercy of sinners.” ~Is. 53:2-5 & Lam. 1: 12, 16, 21
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-Jesus endured suffering.
Even His own disciples failed to understand His mission and kingdom rule of sacrificial love for God’s glory.
By their actions, they added to His pain.
-All the disciples left him and ran away. ~Matt. 26:56
Jesus loved enough to patiently endure this pain of betrayal.
Likewise as followers of Christ,
we’ll encounter painful trials of rejection,
betrayal, misunderstandings and
“bruising” from those closest to us;
even chosen friends.
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-By His grace we’ll endure suffering.
As a writer and poet,
writing Chosen Friends provided
a healing process for me,
after a painful betrayal
experienced from a friend.
Through the obedient life of our great Shepherd;
His gentle and creative guidance,
specifically while observing Lent-
provided a balm that gently blew a
new perspective into my soul like none other.
From Genesis to Revelation,
we understand the painful depravity
experienced within our humanity.
Christ offers His example and strength to love patiently;
to endure trials through prayer, forgiveness, and
seek godly counsel to discern if our response
is wise or beneficial.
Reflecting on David’s prayer,
that our words and meditation would be pleasing to the Lord,
especially to navigate through challenging relationships
and in our society that encourages an
individualistic and bravado attitude.
Help me to understand such love and courage.
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Chosen Friends
Chosen friends are but trouble,
Unless walking side by side.
The soul exposing an imposter; a double.
Truth that sharpens, cuts and divides.
Many claim boldly to love.
Offering a shadow of service,
What is the kiss?
Betrayal or an honest answer?
Conditional, upon the well they sip.
God of all comfort & compassion oversee,
A boldness must breathe, rest and plea,
Content in our deeper soul, I pray.
Mighty Warrior of the soul,
Tear the veil;
chip away, and awaken our hearts.
Reign through your beauty and art.
~mba
“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
~2 Corinthians 3: 17
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-Perseverance of the Saints
“Therefore, my brothers, therefore, sisters dear,
However I, troubled or selfish,
fail in tenderness, or grace, or service clear,
I every moment draw to you more near;
God in us from our hearts veil after veil
Keeps lifting, till we see with his own sight, And all together run in unity’s delight.”
~George MacDonald, Diary of an Old Soul
The gospel message of Christ,
the sacrifice of His life and death on the cross,
speaks volumes about God and His gracious offer both of
forgiving love, and His serious wrath to all sin.
Both love and wrath meet at the cross.
Both mercy and grace join together at the cross of Christ.
God’s tenacious love, truth and merciful call
for our obedience to be holy, will show forth as fruit on a tree.
Job personally and painfully experienced this costly truth,
which sharpened his soul among friends.
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As Rabbi Abraham Heschel states:
“Faith like Jobs cannot be shaken
because it is the result of having been shaken.”
Our experiences of betrayal or trials
are significant and painful struggles.
Suffering presents a theater of questions
that perhaps encircle our beliefs;
often to potentially shake the foundation of our faith.
How might we be hopeful when the winds blow,
or when we feel like we’re drowning, or the skies darken?
We will stumble. We will err. We will fall. We will grieve.
As Job, how might we learn from the wrestle,
to grow our trust in God’s providential love and watchful care?
To trust within the deep waters,
the hard to understand questions of the soul.
Questions flood into our minds and hearts with a force like an
ocean wave, regarding suffering and His sovereignty;
questions about our eternal God who sees,
knows, and hears all things.
We must encourage one another in His multitude of mercies,
to be among the perseverance of the saints.
Then we’ll proclaim as Job,
“I know that my Redeemer lives.”
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