“Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever?... Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?”
The Fog
This closes the first movement of this book with a comprehensive series of honest questions, worth holding as this movement’s own culminating naming, cast off, mercy clean gone, forgotten to be gracious, worth recognizing this same, comprehensive doubt if it has genuinely characterized your own season.
This closes the loop this whole first movement has traced. How long forgotten, unable to behold him, forsaken, hidden face, crying unheard, mixed belief and unbelief, tears as meat, prayer obstructed by cloud, Thomas’s honest except I shall see, and now, this comprehensive series of honest questions.
Notice this same psalm continues, in its very next verses, toward remembering God’s past faithfulness, worth holding as this whole movement’s own actual bridge, honest questioning not abandoned, but genuinely, eventually met with remembered, historical faithfulness, worth trusting as available in your own story.
As this movement closes, receive this whole first movement’s honest naming as necessary, not to be rushed past, but genuinely foundational for this book’s second movement, where honest wrestling, not resolved doubt, will become this book’s own actual, practiced posture toward whatever fog currently surrounds you.
Walk Through the Fog
- Consider what this whole first movement’s honest naming has actually clarified about your own doubt.
- Resist any pressure to feel resolved before you are genuinely ready.
- Carry this whole first movement’s honesty forward into this week’s exploration of genuine wrestling.
Prayer
Lord, hath God forgotten to be gracious? I have named this honestly. Let this honest naming now become the foundation for genuinely, actively wrestling with you. Amen.
Carry this today
Comprehensive, honest doubt is necessary foundation, not something to rush past too quickly.