Lynn Jones: “Stand by Me”
By Lynn Jones
Growing flowers is a challenge. Just about the time you’ve gotten them past the drought and insects, and they begin to bloom, some of them fall to the ground. The problem is that the weight of the flower is too much for the stem. So, just when they should be standing, they go crashing to the ground.
When that happens, I do not give up on them or vow never to grow them again. Instead, I give them a little help. I take a strong stick and put it into the ground next to the flower. I lift the flower and lash it to the stick. With this added strength, most of the flowers go on blooming and sharing their beauty with the world.
Something like that often happens in life. The weight of the world comes down on our shoulders and presses us to the ground. This kind of weight that is placed on our narrow shoulders produces pain and, sometimes, bitterness. People make all kinds of charges against God.
Instead of bitter complaints, some go to God with many questions. They demand an answer to the problem of suffering and pain in their lives. Helen Rosevere suffered greatly in the Congo when she was trapped in a rebel uprising. As she struggled to come to grips with her suffering, Rosevere often asked God why this had happened to her. She said that God did not give her an answer. Instead, He gave her a question. The question was, “Helen, can you thank Me for trusting you with this experience, even if I never tell you why?”
What we need more than answers is One who will come alongside us, like a stake alongside a flower, to give us the strength to stand when we cannot do it on our own. That strength may come from a friend, but, supremely, it comes from God. He is a strong presence who gives us the strength to stand.
Ben King recorded a song in the 1980’s entitled “Stand by Me.” The song is actually a love song, but it also could serve as a cry for God to stand by us. The words, in part, are: “When the night has come,/ And the land is dark’/ And the moon is the only light we see,/ No, I won’t be afraid,/ Oh, I won’t be afraid,/ Just as long as you stand,/ Stand by me/ “If the sky that we look upon/ Should tumble and fall,/ Or the mountain,/ Should crumble to the sea,/ I won’t cry. I won’t cry./ No, I won’t shed a tear,/ Just as long as you stand, Stand by me!”
And the assurance of His Word is that He will stand by us. Even when life threatens to overwhelm us, we can depend upon Him to stand by us and help us stand.
Lynn Jones is a retired pastor who lives in Oxford. He does supply preaching for churches in his area and often serves as an interim pastor. Jones is also an author, has written two books and writes a weekly newspaper column. He may be contacted at: kljones45@yahoo.com.
