Clay in the Hands

I have been preparing for the funeral of my friend Ettie that will be held Thursday.  I met with the family yesterday to make the arrangements and discuss the service.  I asked to see Ettie’s Bible in hopes that I could get a glimpse of what passages she held dear.

One of her grandsons went to get it from her night stand and when he got there, it was opened to the book of Psalms.  He brought it to me as he had found it.  As I looked over the chapters on those open pages I noticed there are 4 or 5 chapters visible on those two pages so I have no idea what Ettie was reading the last time she picked up this book.

But the chapter that caught my eye was chapter 13.  The chapter is only 6 verses long but it is amazing!  It begins with a heart-wrenching cry:

How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Do you ever feel like that?  I am always transparent here and today is no different.  I feel like for the better part of the last 2 years,  I have been where this author was when he wrote this passage.  God has been working on me and it has been painful.

Maybe you are there today as well.  Maybe your cry is the same:  “How long O Lord must I endure . . .”

My encouragement for you (and me) is this – hang in there.  God is still in control.

The psalmist continues in this same chapter by saying this:

But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

God will continue to take care of us.  God has a plan!

Don’t give up but rather trust in God’s unfailing love!

Be blessed today!