Is there no balm in Gilead? | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Is there no balm in Gilead? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Graham Keet
03/10/14
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Is there no balm in Gilead?

She stood at the edge of the swimming pool and gazed down. The water was clear to the extent of being transparent, and she could see her small doll lying at the bottom. For a moment she considered her mother’s words: ‘Stay away from the poolside, Astrid, I can hear your sister crying and I’m going to fetch her.’ But being almost three years old, Astrid felt sure she would be safe, after all the bottom was only a few inches away; so she stepped forward.

Astrid is now my wife, indicating that the above actual event had a fortunate ending, but how often does being at the deep end have tragic consequences? Some years ago I received a call from a subordinate, let’s call him Mike, who had recently been promoted to a position of considerably more responsibility than before. I heard afterwards that Mike was having a number of problems at work, but didn’t want it thought that he couldn’t manage his new position. I decided not to intervene, but to monitor the situation closely for a while. Unfortunately at that time Mike’s wife announced that she was leaving him for another man, the totality of the stress undoubtedly resulting in the phone call I received from Mike saying that he was sitting in his living room with a loaded thirty-eight special, and was going to end it all. He did, however, agree to wait for us to get there.

If you have ever approached a house in which you know a suicidal man is waiting with a loaded revolver, you will know that prayer is not amiss. On the way to Mike’s house, accompanied by a colleague, I prayed that the Lord would take control of the situation, and in the spirit I placed God’s protection around Mike and around the two of us. Although my colleague was not a particularly religious man, he agreed earnestly with every prayer I prayed. We found Mike distraught, but after talking and praying with him, he agreed to come with us, undergo counseling, and start to pick up the pieces again.

These are difficult times we live in today. The world economy has gone through a lengthy recession, and conditions have not yet normalized. Unemployment is increasing, people are losing their homes, and many are going hungry. In addition, extreme weather conditions worldwide have caused havoc due to floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, fires, earthquakes and tornadoes. What can we do then when the chips are down and our backs are to the wall; is there no balm in Gilead (Jeremiah 8: 22)?

We are warned not to trust in man, who draws his strength from the flesh, and who turns away from God, instead God’s promise is ‘Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him (Jeremiah 17: 5 - 7).’ Although Astrid and I have devoted our lives to seeking God’s face in all things, we have learned that nobody is immune from hardship. We were tested to the uttermost when our eldest son was killed in a light aircraft accident a few years ago, and we know the despair that can place a vice-like grip on every waking moment. But we also know that if you ask God for answers, he will provide them. We were given relevant scriptures that we never knew existed before, and the Lord led us step by step to a deeper knowledge and understanding of his love for us.

It’s easy to say to a person going through troubled times ‘Don’t worry, God will sort things out’, but it is not easy to impart a deep trust in God in another person. Fortunately we don’t have to do it all ourselves, as Paul pointed out in 1 Corinthians 3: 6 when he said: ‘I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.’ To begin with, therefore, we should equip ourselves to plant seeds, and as we progress in our service to Him, we may have the privilege of eventually reaping the harvest.

If you find yourself standing at the deep end contemplating that final step forward, rather take a step backwards and ask the One who calmed the storm to bring sanity to your situation, and the peace that passes all understanding.

There is balm in Gilead: His name is Jesus.

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