Need a Bridge over Troubled Water?

The phrase “beauty for ashes” kept going through my mind and so I found it tucked into a verse in Isaiah 61:3. I listened to the scriptures being read from that verse in Isaiah to chapter seven of Jeremiah. What I heard was God pleading with His people to be faithful to Him, to return to the old paths and quit their sins and from worshipping idols made with their own hands instead of the God who had fed them, clothed them and led them out of the desert place into the lush Promised Land. I listened and felt sorry for the Creator of the Universe, I know what it feels like to be left by one that was supposed to love you, to find out someone has taken your place and it is not a good feeling, I repeat, I felt sorry for God. I have found that God continues to love us and give us chance after chance to turn our life around, He gives us hope.

Lamentations 3:19-24

I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there’s one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left.

Then after thinking about how God continues to love us and give us solutions to our problems when we ask something else came to my mind, a song I have been listening to over and over sung by Aretha Franklin, although you will probably be more familiar with it if I said it was written and sung by Simon and Garfunkel, it is Bridge over Troubled Water. I am going to put some of the words here for you to read and as you read them I ask you to picture Jesus being the bridge over the troubled waters of your life.

When you’re weary, feeling small, When tears are in your eyes, I’ll dry them all (all) I’m on your side, oh, when times get rough and friends just can’t be found like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down, When you’re down and out When you’re on the street, When evening falls so hard I will comfort you I’ll take your part, oh, when darkness comes and pain is all around, Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down.

I need that Bridge right now, do you?