Rope and The Throne

I found myself very early this morning reading from the book I have been lingering over...again. There's so much to take in and ponder. I wish my mind was better at remembering. I sometimes so easily forget.

Listen to this...

And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friend--Job 42:10

"AND THE LORD TURNED the captivity of Job." What a promise is contained in this verse! Our longest sorrows have an ending, and there is a bottom to the profoundest depths of misery. Winter shall not frown forever; summer shall soon smile. The tide shall not eternally ebb out; the floods retrace their march. The night shall not hang its darkness forever over our souls; the sun shall yet arise with healing beneath his wings.

The Power of Prayer in a Believer's Life by Charles H. Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon, who was preaching in London while Abraham Lincoln was President, often taught using profound imagery. This little paragraph spoke to my heart like a beautifully painted masterpiece.

A little further in the chapter, I read text on Intercessory Prayer titled For Whom We Should Intercede. Listen again to these words:

In the case of Job, he prayed for his offending friends. They had spoken exceedingly harshly of him. They had misconstrued all his previous life, and though there had never been a part of his character that deserved censure--for the Lord witnessed concerning him that he was a perfect and an upright man--yet they accused him of hypocrisy, supposing that all he did was for the sake of gain. Perhaps there is no greater offense that can be given to an upright and a holy man than to suspect his motives and to accuse him of self-seeking.

If you're like me, you ask, "So what do you do, Charles?" And without skipping a beat, he says, "Carry your offending ones to the throne of God." Can you see this image in your mind's eye?

I am always a little taken aback when I read something like this and then find myself right smack dab in the middle of a life-lesson just a few short hours later. I didn't know in the wee hours of the morning that the very words I was reading would end up needing to be put to good use later in the day.

Pause here... Let me make one thing clear--I have never been a perfect and an upright woman. Far from it. Job, however, was a perfect and an upright man. God said so.

So the question is: will I carry the offending one to the throne of God?

Well, that's immediately what I did. What we did as a family. I'm pretty sure, however, this isn't a one-time carry to the throne for me. I know...that's not good, Michelle. I'm being honest to say that I have a funny feeling I'll be dragging this person back home with me over and over again. Unfortunately, Charles Spurgeon didn't know he'd be dealing with Yours Truly 100 or so years later. Had he, he might have said, "Carry your offending one to the throne of God and LEAVE HIM THERE!"

Today has been a struggle getting my mind off the harsh words spoken. I especially don't like harsh words when they are spoken against my family. Against Mr. Wonderful. Did you know I am part Grizzly Bear? Yep. It's true. Mess with me, that's one thing. Mess with my family and, well, you get the picture. Remove the beast in me, Lord.

So tonight when I lay my head on my pillow and start talking to my Jesus, I'm thinking I might need to take along some rope. Maybe I can use it to tie the offending one to the throne.

Humbly,