Heaven Can Be Brutal Sometimes

Earthly governments are notorious for such things as lack of accountability, abuse of power, unholy alliance, among other things producing rising frustration and hardship amongst citizens. Is Heaven an exception? What do you think?

We, humans, are a complex, competitive, time-sensitive, and goal-driven species. As the bible says ‘there is a time for everything…’

Eccl 3:1

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

In life, there are things to accomplish at every stage. It is the way we are normally raised. As we grow we cultivate a set of values, interests, and aspirations. For example, in the young adulthood stage building, the social, professional, and financial foundations are the most important goals lack of which results in feelings of failure and inferiority or even worse.

I remember when I was about thirty years old, unemployed and living by myself I heard on the news of a woman of the same age who committed suicide. She had done this to herself because all of her friends got married and yet there she was, still single and in a complicated relationship. Upon seeing that hers was not going to happen anytime soon she decided to end her life. It’s so sad to know that these are some of the things that people go through in life.

When we fail to meet our expectations or the expectations that society sets for everybody we start showing a variety of feelings such as embarrassment, anxiety, anger, sadness, shame, guilt, and self-blame most of which are hard to come out of. Quite often these feelings are escalated by mean comments that we receive from people as a result. People will judge you wrongly because they do not understand the experience that you are going through.

Can the same happen to people who call on the name of the Lord? Like the earthly governments does heaven take forever to respond or even fail to respond to our needs? Can we count on other things either that it is? Can one count on heaven to help them in similarly difficult situations in life or it’s just not worth it? What do you think? Read with me the following bible text:

 Luke 1:30-37

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”

From the above verse let’s single out the life of good old Elizabeth. Like any other woman, she had set goals and aspirations for herself and her future. She might have afforded all her dreams but one. She was barren for the greater part of her life.

When we meet her in the above text it suggests that she was at least 60 years old and past the childbearing stage. Some scholars note that she was 88 years old at the time. Like every other young woman, she had hopes of bearing children for her husband and family Alas! It was not going to be the case for decades. But why?

People do not take kindly toward bareness. Such people are believed to have been punished by God for some act that they may have committed in life. In the community that I come from most of these women have one time or the other been falsely accused of either being ill-tempered, cold-hearted, promiscuous in their past life or having committed a series of abortions.

Though she was the spouse of the High Priest at the time being revered by many Elizabeth was no exception. She received the same backbiting and unkind remarks from fellow brethren all of the years. She endured it all.

And what did heaven do about it? Absolutely nothing! Hear what Gabriel had to say about the matter.

Luke 1:36

36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.

How would you have reacted if these same words were said about you? I would have asked Gabriel why heaven chose not to interfere then and why take so long because my relative had gone through so much. Why act now when it’s not much of a state to celebrate anymore? An elderly woman falling pregnant is both a risk to her and the baby I would have alleged. But well! Heaven had other plans.

I would have been mad about it but on second thought be glad at the fact that despite all my pain and suffering my case was well-known to God just as it was. Every inch and detail of my pain was recorded and laid bare before God. God knew about her case and that’s what mattered most.

Isa 49:15-16

15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion for the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! 16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

In this life, we will experience many sorrows but God can deliver us from all. The secret to this is to keep our eyes fixed on the cross not giving in to temptation till the time of deliverance comes. At the right time God will stand up for us and he will bless us abundantly. Sometimes these circumstances force us to stumble and doubt God. This happens because we have shifted our eyes from him and wandered away. To the one who perseveres and remains steadfast victory is certain. 

Isa 40:28-31

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

There are times when before people’s eyes you may be a failure, loser, cursed, lowlife, and so on but in Heaven a great treasure of God. Remember Job during his suffering how his friends insinuated that it was because of some wrongful acts that he might have committed. In the end, it was proven that Job had not done any wrong as he was ordered to make an offering for his friends who had wrongfully judged him.

Job never lost sight of God and in the end, he was saved. Hannah and Sarah were too visited by God in the end and were blessed with children. This is a great lesson for those of us who might be experiencing similar circumstances. Let us stay connected to God always and like David sing the following Psalms.

Ps 30:1-8

0 I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me, And have not let my enemies rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. 3 O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit. 4 Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, And give thanks to His holy name. 5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. 6 Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, “I will never be moved.” 7 O Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong;

Unlike earthly governments and monarchs, Heaven will never forget its own. Our cases may get to a point where all is but hopelessness but as the angel, Gabriel said ‘Nothing is impossible with God

Heb 6:10-15

10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, to make your hope sure. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. 13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”   15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

We too after waiting patiently will receive what is promised.

God bless you and see you in the next lesson

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