More Than Coping- The Tenderness Of God

I had a friend years ago who was one of those believers that somehow made you feel better about things just by being around him. His joy was so plain to me.  I recall visiting at his home one day and he asked me if I ever wanted to jump into God’s lap and have Him hold me. That question took me by surprise because I didn’t believe I was in need of holding. The bottom line though was I couldn’t relate to God on such an intimate level. I couldn’t relate to what he was describing.

I do now. In fact I desire it. I believe it is something God desires for us as well.

Matthew 23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Jesus was looking down over the great city when He uttered those Words. They were about to crucify Him, yet His words show what He had so desired to do for them.

In the Psalms, David described God in this way…..

Psalm 18:2  Jehovah is my strength, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock; I will trust in Him; He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.

My strength, fortress, deliverer, God, rock, shield, horn of my salvation, and high tower. All of these words and phrases are indicative of the protective nature of God and as a result David could say ” I will trust in him.” These are eternal truths concerning the nature of God in relation to His children. They are true regardless of how we might feel. They are still true today.

The power of the universe abides within us through God the Holy Spirit. Yet this same God, with all of His mighty power is also our Shepherd.  When you read about the tender care a shepherd gives to His sheep, the 23rd Psalm makes a lot more sense. Philip Keller wrote a small book titled “A Shepherd Looks At The 23rd Psalm.” He was a shepherd for eight years and he looks at this Psalm from the viewpoint of an earthly shepherd and his sheep. It is a loving and tender relationship he describes and one which God wishes to have with each of us.  It is well worth reading.  It could very well be in your local library.

Psalm 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalm 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psalm 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

We live in a world where we are bombarded with alternative forms of peace, security, and many false Gods.  I speak from experience when I say that I began to look in the wrong places for my peace instead of God.  I was desperate, confused, and in pain.  I had lost hope the abundant life was for me.

Anxiety, Depression, OCD, Bi Polar Disorder, and other mental illnesses can and do seem like insurmountable mountains placed in our lives for no good reason. As time passes we can lose hope and become desperate. We may have also been hurt as someone minimizes or invalidates our pain by making us responsible.  Yet God’s love for us will never be greater than when we are cast down.  His love is unconditional.

The following verses are considered to be for the Jew who struggled under the burden of the law and sin. At the same time I believe Jesus bids believers who are cast down to come to Him and He will be their rest.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I made the mistake as I’ve shared before that for some reason I believed that God had forgotten about me or there was something “dirty” about me that prevented Him from working in my life.  Those were lies that had embedded themselves deep in my spirit.  Through time, God has allowed me to move away from that poison.  I am becoming acquainted with the tenderness of God and also His power, as He walks me through my deepest fears.

I believe a common thread many of us who suffer mentally have is we come to a place where we believe God doesn’t hear us.  We feel useless and can’t see what good our life is on any level. The truth of the matter is that God does hear us and He has us here for a purpose though for a time, we suffer.

We recall in Exodus how the Jews suffered in Egypt under Pharaoh, who was a wicked taskmaster. In chapter 3 we read from the account of Moses and the burning bush…….

Exodus 3:5 And He said, Do not come near here. Pull off your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.
Exodus 3:6 And He said, I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
Exodus 3:7 And Jehovah said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.
Exodus 3:8 And I am coming down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, to bring them up out of that land, to a good land, a large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey………

We know how Moses put up a fight with God as he didn’t want to go face Pharaoh.  Ultimately he did make that journey and we know the results.

In Exodus 3:14 God describes Himself to Mose as “I am that I am.”  In the New Testament in John 8:58 Jesus uses those same words to describe Himself.  He was saying He was God.  As you read Exodus: 5-8 above, that same God is fully aware of our burdens.  He is not about to desert us.

Hebrews 13:5  Let your way of life be without the love of money, and be content with such things as you have, for He has said, “Not at all will I leave you, not at all will I forsake you, never!”
Hebrews 13:6  so that we may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.”
Years ago when my friend shared with me about jumping into the lap of God I couldn’t relate. I believe I can relate now. For me, It’s a process and not what I had counted on for so long.  May God do much more for all of you.

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:36 As it is written, “For Your sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep of slaughter.”
Romans 8:37 But in all these things we more than conquer through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Romans 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am a lay person who has suffered with agoraphobia and panic disorder for 15 years.