Sadness, Sorrow, Storms and Suffering; Trials, Troubles, Testings and Tribulations

Faith under Fire (Psalm 73)

Find your Faltering, Flickering, Fading Faith under Fire: "...till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood …" (Ps 73:17).

A. Faith professed (Ps 73:1). God is good.

B. Faith questioned (Ps 73:2-14). The evil of envy.

C. Faith refocused (Ps 73:15-20). A new perspective.

B1. Faith unquestioned (Ps 73:21-26). Guided by God's counsel.

A1. Faith affirmed (Ps 73:27-28). God's closeness is good.

5 books of Psalms corresponding to the Torah:

1. Book 1 (1-41). Genesis. Songs of relationship...with God.
2. Book 2 (42-72). Exodus. Songs of redemption...delivernace by God.
3. Book 3 (73-89). Leviticus. Songs of refuge. Sanctuary of God. [reflection]
4. Book 4 (90-106). Numbers. Songs of repercussion. Rebellion...against God.
5. Book 5 (107-150). Deuteronomy. Songs of revival. Renewal with God.

Wounds are Healed from the Heart, not the Head (Henri Nouwen)

Live Your Wounds. You have been wounded in many ways. The more you open yourself to being healed, the more you will discover how deep your wounds are.... The great challenge is living your wounds through instead of thinking them through. It is better to cry than to worry, better to feel your wounds deeply than to understand them, better to let them enter into your silence than to talk about them. The choice you face constantly is whether you are taking your hurts to your head or to your heart. In your head you can analyze them, find their causes and consequences, and coin words to speak and write about them. But no final healing is likely to come from that source. You need to let your wounds go down to your heart. Then you can live through them and discover that they will not destroy you. Your heart is greater than your wounds.