“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:18
It’s been almost two years since we rescued our furry, four-legged friend, and it continues to be apparent that he rescued us right back. The last time I talked about how the Lord used Rocky to remind me that no matter what, God never tires of loving us or taking caring of us. That He will continue to rescue us until that day He rescues us for the last time and takes us home to be with Him forever. And recently He reminded me of that once again.
As much as I hate it, there are still times when the pain I’m feeling is so deep, so encompassing, so overshadowing, that I wonder where God is. Is He still there? Does He see me? Does He know what’s going on and how much pain I’m in?
Recently I’d been suddenly faced with some new health issues, on top of an already far-too-full plate of them, and I was overwhelmed with it all. They were bigger than my brain could handle and I didn’t know what to do. I’d been running to try to stay ahead of them, but they caught up to me one day and I broke down in tears.
My bedroom door was closed and Rocky was at the other end of the house.
When I was finished, I knew when I opened the door Rocky would be right there. He always is.
And sure enough he was right there, waiting for me to open the door. His rescued heart knows what pain is and somehow he understands when someone needs a comforting friend.
I immediately thought that if a dog with a brain the size of a walnut and a heart not much bigger is right there whenever I need comforting, how much more is my Abba Father who sent His only Son to die for my sins and filled me with His Holy Spirit near to me when my heart is broken? And how much more will He rescue me when my spirit is humbled?
Sometimes I just need to open the door of my heart, to look up from the cloud of confusion and pain, to see that He is there. And even in those times I don’t see or hear or feel Him, I can know He’s there, just on the other side of the door, because I am called to walk by faith and not by sight. Sometimes pain is designed to be overwhelming, bigger than we can handle, so our faith will grow bigger than our need for sight.
The Friend we have in Christ knows what it’s like to suffer, to be in pain, and even to cry out to His Father, asking where He is. He understands our pain and is compassionate toward us. I’m convinced that when we’re prostrate on the ground in grief, He’s down there with us, holding us, and crying out to the Father on our behalf.
Rocky is my furry little illustration of that.
But the Friend we have in Christ knows our heart and our pain, inside and out, and His love and compassion bring Him near and rescue us, now and forever.
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