During the past several years I have felt prompted by the Lord to intentionally pray for others in very specific ways. For example, one year I had a list of 52 friends who shared their favourite scripture with me, and for a week that year each friend received seven days of prayer over the theme of their verse. Another year the same number of friends told me their greatest spiritual need, and I prayed God's word over them purposefully for seven days, following this up with a hand-written letter including all the scriptures I had lifted to the Lord on their behalf. This current year I felt led to suggest categories of prayer, one for each day of the week, and friends chose the theme that best fit their desire for prayer. One of the headings is praying for singles and widows. As I searched for Bible verses to lift before the Lord on behalf of those who are facing life alone, I found the phrase from Job 14:13b. Lord, "That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me!" (NKJV)
Whether you are single, widowed, or living with a house filled with family, when we are going through any struggles without the end of the hardship in sight, we long to know a completion date. If we only knew that on a chosen day ahead we would be on the other side of the difficulty, I think we could endure it. When we feel forgotten in the middle, our hope would be enlivened if we only knew the pain wasn't going to last indefinitely. Even if the date was far in the future, our hope would increase with the knowledge of the assurance of coming out on the other side.
The Bible doesn't tell us how long Job suffered. James 5:11 tells us, "We give great honour to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy." Phrases like "great endurance" and "at the end" certainly suggest his distress lasted more than a few days. In Job 7, Job himself referenced "months of futility, long and weary nights of misery."
When we are called to persevere in pain it can become so wearisome. If we only knew that on a set date on the calendar in the days, months or even years to come, relief and healing are coming, I think we could hold on a little longer if we had the absolute assurance of recovery.
An unending season of suffering is so discouraging. I'm watching a dear one right now trying her best to live above the physical difficulties that are weighing heavy and causing concern. She is courageously doing her best to live above this unknown ailment during the day, and then facing sleepless nights. Multiple doctor and emergency room visits have left her with unanswered questions as the symptoms persist, making it harder and harder to function daily. The relentless weight of an unknown illness is making the sufferer feel like she is going crazy. Something is not right when you cannot even swallow a sip of water. If only God would set an appointed time and remember her.
So, what do we do? Maybe you too feel chained to a chronic illness right now. Maybe your heartache has nothing to do with health, but a prodigal child or a fractured relationship. It is possible you feel forgotten in a job where everyone else is being promoted, yet you feel anonymous and unseen. How do we keep on keeping on? When friends like Job's come offering suggestions and platitudes that only cut deeper, they often mean well, but our hearts hurt just a little bit more as they add fuel to the fire. If God would only mark His calendar and think of us again. As we wait for relief from present agony we must consciously choose to hold on to God's promises. Caught in the crucible of suffering, only the hope found in His Word will sustain and carry us.
God does see us. He hasn't forgotten us. Isaiah 49:1 tells us that God has engraved us on the palms of His hands and nothing can separate us from the love He has for us. God has committed Himself to us forever and His shed blood has our names marked on His calendar, highlighted in red.
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