One wonderful promise: Pain in life, with God, means... “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” ~Psalm 30:5b (NRSV).
Comes times in all lives when to bunker down and batten the hatches is both wisdom and serene peace—a period for escaping the prying, temptuous world’s gaze.
The day comes without warning, just as the moment intercedes and worry confines the spirit, yes, beyond even light of hope. As the comforting darkness of that cavernous dwelling beckons, God’s Presence is felt—sanctuary is afforded as the gate pass is relinquished and ingress is made.
Importance is gleaned over the reality that God’s grace dispatches this time of retreat.
Always is it essential that God is pleased and it’s a funny sort of faith that allows this time. It’s about riding out the turbulence. For a moment or two, a day or a week even—and via a plethora of vehicles to it—the cave helps the retention of balance.
Timing’s everything, including when to enter into the period of rest, how and under what circumstances. Wisdom drives the right discerning taste. Flushed with right-sized humility, the tread of foot is perfect for the moment, even if things are tenuous.
The Idea of Peace
It’s more an introverted idea but for whatever reason there’s a close God-connection established when all’s home and nothing’s lost out at sea.
Hiding’s the feature of momentary self-interest, for the future, and God sponsors it. This is not something that’s to be repented from like occasions when the pity party’s rolled out for anyone to attend with a warming shoulder for us to cry on. It’s a mandatory time for recovery, is this. It is God’s intended cool relief.
Peace is the place that’s extended to the heart wise enough to find the pleasantness of the cave without fear of retribution or condemnation. Then it’s just rest. What one single night can do to restore the spirit; reminds of Psalm 30:5.
Come unto the healing Presence of the Almighty. Many tears breeding exhaustion, and a solid night’s sleep, and wonders are performed at the stead of the Spirit. And the key to it: honesty before God—the pleading not of one’s circumstance, but of one’s lack without God.
Out of the Cave and Into the World
The whole idea of sanctuary is rejuvenation and personal revival. Not only is God raising up entire communities through the obedient, but the reviving of souls is the Lord’s specialty.
As cognisance is taken for a newfound confidence—the swaggering spirit—chance toward life is grasped and out into the sunshine we go!
© 2011 S. J. Wickham.
Graphic Credit: The Lovely Bones (2009).
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