Bashed!

Christians, many times, come to the place where the life has been knocked out of them.  Every thought, every step, and every word becomes a heavy effort of will.  Psalms speak of this over and over, which is why many believers find such comfort from them, during such times.  "Your arrows have sunk deep into me, Your hand has pressed down on me, I am bent over and greatly bowed down, I go mourning all day long, there is no soundness in my flesh, I am benumbed and badly crushed, I groan because of the agitation of my heart."  That is just from ONE Psalm and really describes well the pain that can come upon a believer at any given time.  We may not even understand why...EVER.  But even though, we are bashed for whatever reason, we cannot give in to hopelessness.  We cannot!!

God, Alone, does what He pleases with us for His purpose and whether we ever know the why, we either believe Him or we don't.  There is no middle ground.  The Psalmist knew that but that did not keep him from pain.  He says, "LORD, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am...my lifetime as nothing in Your sight...every man at his best is a mere breath."

"God gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist." Romans 4:17b  Abraham was to be the father of many nations, yet he was as good as dead in an old body with a wife passed the age of childbearing.  HOW in the world can he hope to be a father of one, much less of many nations.  And yet, Romans reminds us of this Old Testament patriarch who simply believed.  And that is where we must come no matter how long it has been or how much we know already.  God may need to bring us back to the beginning to remind us of how we got there in the first place.

He is the Author of Life both physical and spiritually.  We have NOTHING of which to boast!  "Abraham believed GOD, and it was credited to him as righteousness...In hope against hope he believed so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken." (by God) "Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; YET, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform."

"And now, Lord, for what do I wait?  My hope is in You."  If you as a believer find yourself bashed, all hope seems gone, you must know that God is still the same God as when you were walking in encouragement.  The next Psalm says, "I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.  He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm."  Be of great courage, hope against hope, wait on the LORD.  He has not moved.  He does not forget His promise to us.