In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven … Psalm 18:6-13, NIV
Did I mention … I love this Psalm! I cherish this revelation of God for me and for my Dear and Desperate Little Friends.
When in distress I cried out, my voice was heard, and as if in an instant, God arose to my help. His action made the earth tremble and the foundations of the mountains shook! He became, as it were, a fire of compassion and deliverance, rocketing to my help, burning with lovingkindness and zeal.
What I did not always know, and what few of our Desperate Little Friends yet understand, when He comes He is swathed in darkness. He makes no show on the earth of His glory in the heavens. He arrives under cloak of black darkness, and if anything is seen of His advent, it is hailstones and bolts of lightning, atmospheric changes that do not seem to be answering our purposes.
Tell your friends, and I will tell mine, that He comes, He comes, when we cry out in the humility of our need and the greatness of His love! Not as showgirls in Vegas on a spiral staircase or Elvis descending per Deux ex Machina, this is no evidence that God has run out of ways to deliver us and now He has to flex His divine muscles – no!
You come when we cry out! You come to our aid and help! You hear our voices! Forgive us when we see nothing but darkness and storm and turn away when You are near, and for our Dear and Desperate Little Friends we pray the same, that they will be given grace to believe, to hope, even to know that You hear when they call, and You are on the way …
How many times have we failed of Your mercies and Your miracles, because we were quick to doubt and unwilling to wait?
God From the Machine, Euripides’ MEDEA … Syracuse Theater,
by Sailko, by permission, Wikipedia
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