From Brokenness to a Double Portion of Blessing

Those who’ve hated their sorrow,

Who’ve suffered humbly and survived,

Have cause to hope for tomorrow,

Soon they’ll see they’ve thrived!

That there is a great deal of pain in the world hardly needs to be stated.  The reason you’re probably interested enough in the title of this article to click on it indicates there’s pain in your life or in the lives of those you love; probably both; pain that cannot be assuaged through any action on your part or the others’.

Pain that has no remedy causes a depth of sorrow appended to anguish, delving into helplessness, that verges on abysmal fatigue, where giving up is seriously not only an option, but it becomes a temptation and a threat — to where we cannot afford to plummet.

Return!  To the Stronghold

The mood of the first word “Return” is imperative, a command — “Return!”  As in, those who are subject of the command.  They’re to return with wise haste, straight away, to the Stronghold — to the City of God, which was Jerusalem, but is now to God’s Presence; His face.

The assurance of God in the command to “return” mirrors what Zechariah opened up with in 1:3 — “Return to me and I will return to you” (cf. James 4:8).

Return, as we’re commanded, and we’re assured of His Presence and blessing.

You Prisoners Who Have Hope

Those who are commanded to return to the Stronghold are the prisoners, and, because they have a Stronghold to flee to, they can hope, for their hope is real.

Many people who don’t believe in Christ cannot see the hope a Christian has, for they’ve not experienced it.  It must be experienced to be believed.  And still there is further hope for the Christian — we truly have had very little revealed to us.  Isn’t that a hope, as we gaze at God as if into a mirror dimly?

We prisoners to sorrow and brokenness have this real hope emergent within us.  This hope is real possession, but only by faith, for we haven’t yet realised the fullest extent of it.

Yet.  Hope.  Expectation.  Expect great things from God (William Carey).

Today, I Declare, says the LORD, I Will Restore Double To You

Reminiscent of Joseph (Genesis 48:22) and Job (42:10), there is a promise that what was suffered will be compensated, double.

Double.

Good to His promise, God is a Lord of multiplicity.  God is generous as well as faithful.  He will complete the work He’s doing in us (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Could it be that we may come to be amazed at the creativity and enormity of God’s restorative goodness?

That has come to be our experience!

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Symbolic night, awash with tears lamenting a broken present, gives way to the dawning of joy, and peace redoubled.

© 2016 Steve Wickham.