The End of My Rope

A close friend of our family in another state has been going through a painful divorce.  Her husband, who has chosen a self-destructive path, began the proceedings over a year ago and has been dragging the whole process out in the courts as he plays the part of the victim and slowly wears away what little money to which his wife has access. 

A couple of weeks ago I heard through the grapevine that a key hearing was approaching at which his lawyer was going to attempt to saddle my friend with a myriad of court costs, liabilities and as little spousal/child support as possible.  Through it all, our friend has continued to cling to God's word and lean on Him in prayer.  I too have prayed fervently that God would protect her and her children and give them justice.

As the time for the hearing came and went, I found myself wondering what God had done for my friend.  My mind wandered to the story of Daniel in the lions' den.  I couldn't help but wonder if I was feeling a little of what King Darius had felt:

When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?" - Daniel 6:20

As I pondered the story, it occurred to me that Daniel (and his friends) had probably prayed like crazy for some legal loop-hole,  some Perry Mason worthy last minute surprise witness, that would save him.  But then I thought how lame the story would have been if Daniel had merely won his day in court.  No, the whole point of the story was that God didn't save him from the lions den.  God saved him from the lions.  And in order to do that, Daniel's prayers of not getting tossed in had to go unanswered. 

Perhaps my friend's case will fall on the ears of a ruthless judge who has had a bad day.  Maybe her counsel will screw up.  It might be that all of her hopes for a modicum of financial security will be crushed.   Just as I am sure many saw Daniel's descent into the pit as evidence of either God's impotence or His callousness, so do many today view their own unanswered prayers.  Ironically, in Daniel's case, God's supposed weakness was merely a setup for an even greater display of power.  There is a point where mere mortals declare, "Oh, it's definitely over.  They're toast!"  But God delights in breaking our paradigms.  And then I think of Jesus, and it occurs to me that God has used this M.O. before. 

How often do I draw a line in the sand and declare that God must do something before things get to there?  How small is my God?  In doing so I set myself up for disappointment.  God is not constrained by my concept of the end.  When I've come to "the end of my rope" He makes more rope.