Je reconnais, Seigneur

Sonde-moi, ô Dieu! et connais mon cœur; éprouve-moi, et connais mes pensées. Et regarde s'il y a en moi quelque mauvaise voie, et conduis-moi dans la voie éternelle. Psaume 139. 23, 24
 

Je reconnais, ô Seigneur,
Que, si souvent insatisfait,
Mon cœur soupire, peine et pleure,
À la recherche de la paix.

Je reconnais, ô Seigneur,
Que là je cache ma souffrance,
Mon amertume, ma rancœur,
Au lieu de vivre en confiance.

Révèle-toi, touche mon cœur,
Au fond de moi, à l'intérieur,
Là où demeurent ma vie, ma vérité,
Là où tu veux me rencontrer.

Je reconnais, ô Seigneur,
Mon vrai besoin de ta présence,
Là, tout au fond de mon cœur,
Et pas seulement en apparence.

Je reconnais, ô Seigneur,
Ta patience et ta tendresse
Qui prennent soin de mon cœur
Dans la douceur d'une caresse.

Elle coule en moi comme une eau claire,
Reconnaissance qui me libère,
Créant en moi le désir de remercier
Mon Dieu, mon Père, et de l'aimer.

Frédérique Jaccard

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When the Bottom Drops Out

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

God is good in both the good times and the bad.

During the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, more people were looking for work than there were jobs available. I was one of those job seekers. After nine anxious months, I landed employment as a copywriter. But the company soon fell on bad times and I was jobless again.  

Ever been there? It seems like the worst is over when suddenly the bottom drops out on you. The widow at Zarephath could relate (1 Kings 17:12). Due to a famine, she was preparing the last meal for herself and her son when the prophet Elijah requested a bite to eat. She reluctantly agreed and God provided a continuous supply of flour and oil (vv. 10–16).

But then her son fell ill. His health declined until he stopped breathing. The widow cried out, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” (v. 18).

At times, we may want to respond like the widow—wondering if God is punishing us. We forget that bad things can happen in this fallen world.

Elijah took the concern to God, praying earnestly and honestly for the boy, and God raised him up! (vv. 20–22).

When the bottom drops out on us, may we—like Elijah—realize that the faithful One will not desert us! We can rest in God’s purposes as we pray for understanding.

For help on the topic of peace, read discoveryseries.org/q1126.