Yom Kippur – September 22, 2015 (evening)

For the past two days, I’ve been refinishing a piece of furniture. Although the chest looks drastically different – even lovely, it will never be perfect because the imperfections are only covered. Many are in the wood and even in how the chest was built.

As I was painting this afternoon, I began to think about the Old Testament concept of repentance for sin since Yom Kippur begins at sundown. This most holy day in the Jewish calendar ends 10 days of introspection. Many devout Jews will spend the day in the synagogue, fasting and praying for the forgiveness of sins committed during this past year. Yom is the Hebrew word for day and Kippur is translated as atonement. Kippur literally means to physically cover over something, just as I painted the chest.

People in the Old Testament traveled to Jerusalem and observed the day through repentance and bringing a lamb to be sacrificed for their sins. God looked on the blood of that sacrificed animal, and sin was covered. It was temporary, and people continually offered sacrifices. The writer of Hebrews tells us that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin (Hebrews 10:1-4).

But through Christ death on the Cross, our sins can be forgiven and forgotten because Jesus became our sacrificial Lamb (I Peter 1:18-19, Hebrews 9:28). As we repent, our sins are not merely covered (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 John 1:7), they are washed away or “wiped out” (Acts 3:19).

As widows, we may have regrets or have wished we could have done things differently. Those actions or circumstances can never be changed. But through Christ, we can forgive ourselves, find freedom from guilt, and live in the joy of knowing that the Lord has forgiven us.

Today’s news is anything but hopeful. An 8.3 magnitude earthquake rocked Chile last evening; at least 10 massive fires continue to burn in California; the Middle East is a powder keg that could blow at any minute. Refugees from Syria are swarming the cities of Europe looking for safety, Christians are persecuted and maligned. And who would have believed 15 years ago that the U.S. debt would topple $18 trillion. Mind boggling! How is it possible to be joyful, content, at peace, and even hopeful with news like this?

Everything seems out of control. We’ve been taught that we can control our destiny, finances, careers, and even our emotions. But that certainly doesn’t seem to be true. It’s simply impossible to have joy and peace in a world rocking with pain. We cannot depend on our own inner strength or moral fortitude for comfort and strength. If, however, our Source of joy and peace is the God of this universe, we know that everything is in control. The world around us may be shaking, but we can have a peace that astounds the most ardent pessimist.

This peace is not like an ostrich that sticks its head in the sand, ignoring the circumstances. Our peace comes from knowing that God is with us even in our deepest sorrow and pain. As widows, we have proved Him faithful in great loss. The Lord has promised wisdom when we need it (James 1:5), and peace while walking an uncertain path (Psalm 119:165). He will be the protective “husband” (Psalm 68:5, Isaiah 54:4-5).

The apostle Paul said, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Cor. 48-9). Paul didn’t discount his difficult circumstances. Things were difficult and he acknowledged that. But he also realized that God had not left him powerless.

Through our relationship with a powerful God, we can say with the Psalmist, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear … (Psalm 46:1-11).

One of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Elliott, went to be with the Lord on June 15, 2015. She walked through the pain of losing two husbands and eloquently expressed her feelings through the grieving process in many of her writings. In her book, Loneliness, she labels loneliness and suffering “a wilderness experience” but also relates how God walked with her in every circumstance. During an interview, Elliott said, “People sometimes ask me, ‘How did you get rid of your feelings?’ I tell them I didn’t get rid of them. I offer them to God, and I have to offer them again, and again, and again.”

Our feelings–our emotions–are part of how God made us as humans. To deny them is to reject that part of us that responds to His love and also to the love of a marriage partner. Grief is a natural emotion in any loss, but especially when a spouse goes to be with the Lord. Part of the healing process is to acknowledge to God and even a close friend how we feel.

I’m often amazed at how freely people in Scripture expressed their emotions. In Numbers 11, Moses became so frustrated that he cried out to God, “What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of these people on me?” The Psalmist cried to the Lord because his “bones were in anguish” (Ps. 2), because he felt forsaken (Ps. 22), and because he was “lonely and afflicted” (Ps 25). Jesus expressed His feelings on the Cross when He said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matt. 27:46).

Honestly expressing your feelings to God does not mark you as a less spiritual person. God already knows your thoughts and feelings. In expressing them and asking for His help, you are following the admonition of Scripture: “Cast all you anxiety on him because he cares for you” (I Peter 5:7). David said, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Ps. 62:8).

In a healthy, trusting marriage, the husband and wife openly express their feelings without worry of condemnation. It’s part of developing intimacy. The same is true in a growing relationship with Christ. We can approach Him with confidence because He knows our weakness (Hebrews 4:15-16) and loves us unconditionally (I John 4:16).