Learning to Suffer well..

Maybe one of the worst crosses we may have to endure on this side of glory is: the Father hiding his face; the sweet psalmist of Israel records this terrifying experience in one of his prayers: "You hid Your face, I was dismayed." Ps 30:7.

Having gone through such seasons of seemingly unending heaviness within the soul (day after day, week after week, month after month,...), I learned how (not) to comfort others with heaviness of spirit: "Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart." Proverbs 25:20.

For me what helped in these situations was rich deep hymns. Therein, simple truths are revealed in profound imagery by intensely suffering Christians.

These hymns I enjoy singing every day (Eph 5:19, James 5:13). Though grateful that I am not experiencing the depth of despair, they help me remember what Christ has faithfully brought me through. And I am strangely grateful that I could personally feel in my soul something of Christ's sacred agony, while hanging on the cursed cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

One of my daily companions is this hymn by John Newton (the Amazing Grace guy) and William Cowper (who suffered from depression the entirety of his Christian life). The first couple stanzas of the hymn are here below, with a link to a modern rendition of it by Indelible Grace.

"I asked the Lord that I might grow In faith and love and every grace Might more of His salvation know And seek more earnestly His face

Twas He who taught me thus to pray And He I trust has answered prayer But it has been in such a way As almost drove me to despair"