As a child, George had bad eyesight. As a young adult, his eyesight deteriorated and he was going blind.
The woman he was to marry no longer wanted to marry him.
His blindness was a struggle she did not want to share.
His fiancé said to him, “I do not wish to be the wife of a blind preacher. I love you, but I will have to let you go!”.
George’s heart was heavy and he felt very alone.
Now, his sister was getting married, the person who helped take care of him, was leaving to start a new life.
The rejection, hurt and disappointment again surfaced and he was feeling more alone than ever.
During this time, George penned the powerful words of the hymn, “Oh love that wilt not let me go”.
In his grief and loneliness, George turned to God and found comfort in the Lord’s constant love and care for him.
In the book of Psalms, the writer David, shares his feelings, his raw emotions, openly and honestly with God.
When David experienced distress in his life, times of loneliness, anxiety and hurt, it was in these times he also discovered God.
A God who was there to give His love, His grace, His comfort and peace.
In Psalm 18:6, David writes “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, my cry came before Him, into His ears”.
Psalm 120:1, “I call on the Lord in my distress, and He answers me”.
In my life, just like David and George, I have found God to be with me in times of difficulty.
Psalm 46:1 reminds me, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble”.
Don’t delay turning to God, He can hear you whenever you call to Him.
~ Contributed by Sandra Whyborn for the Deniliquin Salvation Army, on behalf of the Combined Churches of Deniliquin.
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