in the streets and walks around in rags, once I saw that man in a dream, He and
God were constructing an extraordinary temple.” Francis of Assisi
soul as it plummets into black and messy conundrum, this storybook attempts not by scholarly work, but life immersion,
nor just words on a page; a sense of God-quickening. Oft times, the dilemmas manifest themselves as dastardly and cruel bargings-in.
Other times they subtly approach from the shadows. Either way, these
enigmatic occurrences create stupefaction; they boggle the most studious,
baffle the intellectual. They awaken the inferno of ire from within, roust the
deadly smear campaign, or shock the nerves with fright.
of the stone cold broke, who subsist in perpetual desperation, and so accumulate
a curious wisdom, maybe saving the day with their discretion at one moment —
then just as quickly get laughed at, as eccentrics, in Ecclesiastes 9:15.
(Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the
city; yet no man remembered that same poor man)
what crack or crevice did the shadowy insight make purchase for these select
poor and wise? In the grips of the fires of the “invisibles,”—a chance
happening; a weird turn of events; an unrehearsed moment that bellies up the
soul—indeed heart and spirit, exposing raw membrane inside and out as
rubber-necked eyeballs bulge—in naked array, at the hair-splits edge of the
psychological pain threshold, hair rising on the back of the neck; blood
rushing through the brake lines, peddle smashed to the floor; sparking and
reddening with a cringe, a claw, a twist and a frantic whoa—the secrets appeared.
worse; with faculties reorganized, and calm and poise aligning in support; all
pulled together and coming to grips—yet that God-forsaken flood has not
subsided, but has plotted a course of least resistance, abyss of bosom determined. The overflow jolts the nerves, fight-or-flight hyper-signals announce the panicking,
and the all-knowing accuser/excuser, acting as a compass, struggles to point true north, or make sense of it all.
fantasy shock in chapter 3, but Eliphaz unsnapped him in chapter 4. When blame throws itself around, the flame of equitable rights ignites. This is good? Not yet;
O yes good, but not ‘real’ good yet. Job came to his senses as the prodigal
came to himself in Luke 15, jumping up from his bed of smelly swine-pen.
his activated volition, and nothing else, develops into a “jaws of life” pulling
him up and out of his hell. Without a man’s will and passion, only the
sovereign grace of Almighty God can help here. Accordingly shocked, the
accusations incensed and aroused Job’s animate side.
gets a person outta-there, but Job was a mature and God fearing man and his
trials were not for the uninitiated. Phantasmagoria brought comfort at the
onset, but all of Job’s faculties had to be summoned for the forward press.
This type of trial demands a submissive redesign at the core. Outta-there in Job’s case, gave way to In-there, and every “I” must be dotted, every “t” crossed.
The stage is set for the soul-rearranging when precious sufferers are at
wits’ end. This is Psalm 107. Yes, before they be glad and get to their desired
haven, they reel to and fro like a drunken man. ‘Wits end’ as a principle
precedes this drastic adjustment, as death prerequisites resurrection. They
can’t process anything, discuss anything, understand anything, figure out
anything. The only seeming fix is for the whole world to do a 180, without question
mandating a bigger-than-I scenario.
Let God arise and His enemies be
scattered! Let God consciousness, a bigger God, with a more intense revelation
of love, an accurate manifestation of the One and Only Equalizer for all
devastation, the essence of a living Creator, Father Son and Holy Spirit, come
quickly. We must have greater love lavishing, in James 4:6, tender- mercy that
pulls the plug on judgment, James 2:13, precious pardon much more abounding than
guilt, Rom 5:23.
Finally, an eternal measure of adoring
God-picture in the realm of my imagination, 2 Cor 4:17, A vision of Jesus
Christ high and lifted up ruling in my favor, the Day Star must arise in my
heart, and we must be absolutely emancipated
by the Word and then by the Person of the Word. John 8:32-36. In
1Pet1:13 grace must be served up on our heart plates, the eyes of our
understanding lightened as a flame in Eph1:18. Nothing less will do.
“God and God alone”, you have heard of the song? In the severe testings only a larger than life manifestation of our God, will quell the rushing soul. He wants to become that for us, and this defines the trial. When we seek Him, our expectation will not be cut off. My prayer—find Him. Love ya.