How long, O Lord? Have you ever found yourself asking this very question? I have a friend who has had epilepsy since he was very young. It's a condition that causes him to have full-blown, fall-on-the-ground seizures. He tells me he's one of the lucky ones because his drugs control the seizures. But there are side effects. The drugs slow his thinking; his hands shake visibly, and he's tired all the time. Day after day, he lives with this invisible handicap. And it makes him frustrated and angry. His prayer is this: "How long, O Lord?"
The problem is we feel a tension between God's promises and what we experience. God tells us we are His special people, but we lose our jobs; our families break up, and our loved ones die. So we can't help but pray with Habakkuk, "How long shall I cry for help, and You will not hear? ...and You will not save?"
In the pain of our suffering, God turns us to the cross where Jesus Himself suffered. It is there on the cross that Jesus cried out our prayer, "My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34b). On the cross Jesus suffered for us. On the cross, He bled and died for us. And after all that suffering, He rose to save us. Not just from our sins, but He promises to save us from every kind of suffering. Until that day, we wait, praying, "how long until you come, O Lord?" And He answers, "Behold, I am coming soon" (Revelation 22:7a).
THE PRAYER: Father in heaven. Your son, Jesus Christ, rose from the dead to give us eternal life free from suffering and death. Give us faith in the promise that He is coming soon. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, we pray. Amen.
Written by Pastor James Huenink
St. James Lutheran Church - Chicago, Illinois
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