I don't understand it

I actually don't know why I find such comfort in so many Peanut's comics. It must be my nostalgia or just the connection I have had my whole life with Charles Shultz's ways of communicating simple concepts through his work. I am just thankful for them.  

Lately this fallen world has overwhelmed me.  The curse, although conquered by Jesus sacrifice, will be a shadow over us here as the groaning of the creation continues until His return.  Death, of course, has been in the forefront of my thoughts.  It has been the suffering and death of a precious pet, to the suffering and death of a precious, treasured, elderly Christian brother, and now a precious elderly Christian sister.

We as Believers know that this world is not our home. Those of us who trust Jesus as our Savior with our whole being, already are citizens of Heaven. 

Philippians 3:20

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself."  

Until Jesus second coming and the culmination of all His works on our behalf, this is where we are.  We live in this world as it groans.  We cry out to God for His comfort and His strength and He mercifully showers us with His wisdom, and helps us to continue even in our sorrows.

Mostly, I can say the LORD "shields" us somehow from the brunt of our constant pain so we can continue to live "even through tears."  We find His joy, we choose to reach out, choose to smile, choose to love others in many ways while we glorify His name.  

Praises to Him for His great mercies! 

Sometimes, though, I am so overwhelmed by all my own agonies. I find myself thinking and sometimes saying to my Beloved, 

"I don't understand it"

How can we understand when all we've know is thrown away?  When all reason is thrown away?  When all we have had in our grasp has been taken from us?

This world is not our home.  

These things which we do not understand, these things which we have observed to become utter chaos, and these things which should never have happened, we can choose to give them to the LORD even if we can never "understand it".  

There can be a great comfort in giving our unexplainable sufferings to Him if we choose to allow this pain to be "held lightly" by ourselves.

*What I mean by "Held Lightly":  I say this not flippantly, but because I know that some agonies will always be deep inside of us. We are human and suffer human losses.  We can not pretend that these losses have not happened, this would be unhealthy.  We can "hold them lightly" as we allow the LORD to comfort us.  He understands our great sorrows and takes them somehow- even if we still feel the sting of the pain- somehow He shields the brunt of it all so we can go on and "do next things" for Him.

If you live in the chaos which others have made, or perhaps you have such agonies in your life that you seemingly can not function well, you can know that our great Almighty God knows your struggles. He is the One and Only God.  He made heaven and earth and all that is in it.

Jesus came to conquer sin as our one and only sacrifice, and He did so at the cross. At His Resurrection He conquered death.  Now we wait for the LORD who has His plans made for when Jesus will return His second time.  This second time Jesus will completely destroy the enemy, and take us to be in the presence of the LORD.  No more pain, no more sufferings.

The LORD allows us to know these things in His Word. We can find great comfort in knowing that He is still in charge no matter what comes.  

Sisters in Christ---Rest in Him knowing that when you are His child you are safe as can be no matter where you are in your pain and sufferings.  He is with you, holding you, comforting you, encouraging you to trust Him more and more with every aspect of your lives.

Habakuk 3:16-19

"I heard and my inward parts trembled,

At the sound my lips quivered.

Decay enters my bones,

And in my place I tremble.

Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress,

For the people to arise who will invade us.

Though the fig tree should not blossom

And there be no fruit on the vines,

Though the yield of the olive should fail

And the fields produce no food,

Though the flock should be cut off from the fold

And there be no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will exult in the Lord,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength,

And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,

And makes me walk on my high places."