This day in 588 BC, Nebuchadnezzar began his siege against Jerusalem and King Zedekiah. It lasted two-and-half years. During that time the inhabitants of the city had no access to the outside world and according to Jeremiah 21:9 they were doomed to die by the sword, famine, or plague. From multiple sources we know that within those walls theft, murder, disease, and cannibalism were rampant among those who were once friends and neighbors. Life was so bad that I’m not even sure we have the capacity to imagine the devastating impact of trying to survive there during the latter stages of the siege.

I cannot even begin to imagine how Horatio Spafford could write a song like “It is well with my soul” after losing his son, followed shortly by the loss of his law practice in the Great Chicago fire, and not long later, the death of his four daughters on their way to England. Only his wife survived the sinking ship to send him a telegram with these two words: “Saved Alone.” As he sailed to meet his wife he penned the verses of this timeless hymn when passing the area where the girls had drowned. I don’t know about you, but I have lost my cool when dinner was late, my plane runs behind schedule, or I have a flat tire in the rain. How pitiful and spoiled we are.

However, the good thing is that neither of those stories ends there. God is always faithful and does not forget His own. Let me illustrate. Some 70 years after the devastation of Jerusalem a remnant returned to their home just as Jeremiah had predicted. And, to this day the Jews who returned have never returned to idol worship again. What about the Spaffords? God blessed them with three more children and despite the fact that one of them died in infancy, they founded a group in Jerusalem called The American Colony to serve the poor. That colony later became the subject of the Nobel Prize winning Jerusalem, by Swedish novelist Selma Lagerlöf. God exalted them for their faithfulness.

One of our biggest challenges is that we lose perspective when painful circumstances occur. Time always seems to slow down and intensify our emotions as we wallow in self-pity. The reality is those feelings are nothing more than selfishness. We miss the “time magic” that our Father is using for us to help ourselves. Let me explain. 2 Peter 3:8–9 says, But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed.

When things get painful, slow down or intensify, know that during these times God is trying to provide you special enlightenment. Focus, not just on the issue, but the source. THEN is the time to concentrate and learn, not afterward — hindsight is always 20 – 20. The concept is no different than when a Major League ball player “gets in the zone.” He will tell you the ball seems to slow down and is easier to hit. God is putting us “in the zone” so we can see the spin on the curve ball that the devil or life has thrown us. Once we see the origin and follow its path, we can hit it out of the ball park. Haven’t you read the last chapter of the book? We always rally in the bottom of the 9^th inning!

Love, Dad