Are you at the end of your rope? Feeling like you can barely hang on? Has life become overwhelming? Do you feel you are bordering on hopelessness? Are you starved for love and very lonely, and no one seems to understand your dire predicament? Is your heart in anguish and breaking with grief? Are demons and oppressive enemies hovering near? Is sickness threatening your life? Do you pray and wonder why God is quiet and hasn’t rescued you yet?
It seems almost sacrilegious to talk about God that way knowing that He loves to deliver us and always will. However, the truth is that sometimes our trials go away quickly when we pray, and other times they don’t.
Sometimes Our Trials Go Away Quickly
Here is an example where a woman found immediate relief. Song of Solomon 3:1-5 (King James Version of the Bible) says:
By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, til he [some translations say she] please.
This Shulamite woman is looking diligently for her bridegroom, King Solomon. This woman is missing him as she is lying on her bed. She is so desperate to reunite with him that she gets out of bed and starts looking all over town for him. She finds him not long after the watchmen, who were guarding the city, find her and she asks them if they have seen the one her soul loves. For Christians in the Church, Jesus’ Body, we are each and together like the Shulamite in search of our heavenly Bridegroom, Jesus. We may be lying in our comfort zone, our “bed”, and start missing Jesus, our Beloved. So, we must get up and start searching for Him in prayer. We can ask for advice from the watchmen, the leaders in the Church, to see if we can find Jesus to be the help we need in our hearts and lives. Sometimes, like this Shulamite, we find Jesus quickly. We then bring Jesus into our “mother’s house” and into the chamber of her that conceived us. I believe this “mother” is the Church, the Lord’s Body, who led her to Jesus. Her mother’s “house” and “chamber” are the holy of holies in heaven, that our spirits can enter in worship in the Presence of God in church or at home! My husband, Charlie, and I believe that Solomon, a type of Jesus, told the other Christians, the “daughters of Jerusalem”, the heavenly Jerusalem, not to disturb the Shulamite until she had her fill of getting refreshed in His Presence. He will do this for you, fellow Shulamite Christian!
Sometimes Our Trials Linger, and We Are Tested
So, we see the Shulamite this time found Jesus pretty quickly. Sometimes we pray, and Jesus answers right away! Other times we pray, and our trials linger on, things get worse at first, and the answer comes much later. Are you at the end of your rope? Sometimes we Christians go through what someone termed “the dark night of the soul.” If you have given your life to God, believing in Jesus Christ’s death on the cross about 2,000 years ago and resurrection after three days, you can be sure God is with you no matter what your feelings, often unreliable, may be saying. No matter what the devil says. No matter what circumstances say. God promised in Hebrews 13:5, “…’I will never leave you nor forsake you.'” Our faith is tested when we believe God’s promises in the Bible, such as this verse, and yet we don’t feel rescued right away.
Jesus Is on the Way!
Are you at the end of your rope? Sometimes it is hard to hear His voice; and we wonder, “Where is He???” Some of us have gotten so desperate in our trials that death looks better than life. Hold on, my friends! Jesus is on the way even if we must wait for Him and His loving answers, which will surely come!
Sometimes Jesus Calls Us to Fellowship His Sufferings for a While
We see another account in Song of Solomon where the Shulamite has gone out in search of her Beloved, although this time she doesn’t find Him right away. It begins in chapter 5, verses 2-8:
I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat: how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweetsmelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him: I called him, but he gave me no answer.
This Shulamite, a type of each of us Christians, is asleep spiritually. However, her heart is awake. She hears her Beloved’s voice knocking on the door asking for entrance. He affectionately calls her His sister, His love, His dove, and His undefiled! He tells her His head is filled with dew, and His locks with the drops of the night. There are times Jesus comes to us and calls us to fellowship His sufferings with Him. He calls us to experience the uncomfortable “dew” of the night. Does the Shulamite leap out of bed at His first beckon? No, she makes excuses, that she has already taken off her coat for the night and washed her dirty feet, which got dirty walking around on the dirt streets. She does not want to put on her coat and get her feet dirty again. The inconvenience to her is too great to answer His call. Then her Beloved, our Beloved, puts in His hand by the hole of the door. This causes her bowels to be moved for him. The word “moved” is #1993 in Strong’s Concordance of the Bible [see Bibliography below]. It means, “to make a loud sound, by impl. to be in great commotion or tumult, to rage, war, moan, clamor;–clamorous, concourse, cry aloud, be disquieted, loud, mourn, be moved, make a noise, rage, roar, sound, be troubled, make in tumult, tumultuous, be in an uproar.” Her heart was really troubled and moved with repentance to follow Him! Right then and there, she got up and headed straight for the door! Her excuses were over! Her hands dropped with myrrh and with sweetsmelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. Myrrh was used in the Bible in the holy anointing oil, to purify living people, and to bury the dead. Myrrh symbolizes repentance as well as her moaning, repentant heart. What did she find? Did she find Him right away? No, her Beloved had withdrawn Himself and was gone! Her soul failed with longing when she had heard His voice. “Failed” is #3318 in Strong’s and means “to go (causat. bring) out.” Her soul went out to Him! She sought Him but could not find Him! She called Him, but He gave her no answer!
You Will Find Jesus When You Search for Him with All Your Heart
Are you at the end of your rope? Have you called out to Jesus in your incredible suffering but cannot feel or hear Him? Do you feel desperate to find Him?
I have been at the end of my rope before. Sometimes I could not hear His voice for long periods of time! I felt desperate to find Him! I have found that in these times, that is when our hearts search for Him the hardest! Our hearts begin to fully seek Him, and our excuses for not following Him become gone! God promises us in Jeremiah 29:13, “And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” That is a precious promise, my friends! God and Jesus will let us find Him when we seek Him with all of our hearts! Hallelujah!
Forgive the Abusive Watchmen
So, the Shulamite’s heart is diligently seeking her Beloved now. What happens next? Continuing in Song of Solomon 5:7, “The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me, the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.” Oh, boy. This desperate Shulamite is so very hungry to find her Beloved and to experience His comfort and victory. The watchmen that went about the city found her once again. They didn’t understand her pure desire and desperation to find her Beloved, Jesus. They see her wandering around in the city in the dark and conclude she must be an immoral woman! They smote her! “Smote” is # 5221 in Strong’s, which means “to strike”! They struck her! They wounded her! “Wounded” is #6487 in Strong’s and means “to split”! They just split her heart wide open! They ripped away her veil! Her veil was her way of covering her head as a sign of betrothal to her Beloved. The watchmen shamed her! They dishonored her! Have you been struck, wounded, and shamed by the watchmen, leaders in church? I know I sure have been repeatedly! This is enough to put some of us at the end of our rope! (This verse is a caution to Christian leaders not to abuse God’s people.)
Does the Shulamite start ranting and raving to her friends about these abusive watchmen? Does she get a root of bitterness and infect others with it? (See Hebrews 12:14-15.) There is no record of any such thing, so probably not. What the Shulamite says to her friends is this: “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.” The Shulamite tells her friends that she is “sick of love”, or “lovesick”, and instructs them to tell her Beloved this if they see Him. “Sick” is #2470 in Strong’s, and means “to be rubbed or worn, hence (fig.) to be weak, sick, afflicted; or (causat.) to grieve, make sick…woman in travail, be (become) weak, be wounded.” Are you at the end of your rope? Does the definition of sick describe you? Rubbed with trying circumstances, worn out, weak, sick at heart or in body, afflicted, grieved, like a woman in travail, and wounded? Jesus sees and cares about your weary heart!!! He is on His way with the love, the refreshment, and the answers you need!
The Shulamite is not mired in bitterness. She forgives those watchmen, those church leaders. Her focus is not seeking revenge for what the watchmen did, but she is in hot pursuit of her Beloved! The Shulamite’s friends ask her, “What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?” The Shulamite’s friends are curious about her Beloved because of her enthusiastic desperation for Him!
God Uses Our Trials to Develop in Us Pure, Sweet Praise and Testimonies!
Song of Solomon 5:10-16 tells about the Shulamite’s awesome praise of her Beloved, even before she finds Him again. I will not reteach that as I just discussed this in my recent blog, “Do You Love People Unconditionally?”, posted 12/09/24 (Link below.) God has really used this not sensing her Beloved Jesus’ Presence to develop pure and sweet praise in her heart expressed in worship through her lips! The result? Her friends ask in Song of Solomon 6:1, “Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.” Her sufferings and subsequent beautiful worship of Jesus made her friends hunger to know her Beloved, too! My friends, God will use the sufferings you are enduring today as you wait on Jesus to reveal Himself to you and answer your prayers to create hunger in others! You will be able to be there for others and point them to Jesus through your inspiring testimonies!
Jesus Will Show Up!
Right after this, the most wonderful, delightful thing happens! Jesus shows up! The Shulamite finds her Beloved Jesus and tells others where He is! Song of Solomon 6:2 says, “My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.” She finally knows where He is! He shows up fellowshipping with her in the garden of her heart, where the spices of His anointing in her heart emerge! He is feeding her there and Himself feeding upon her love! She realizes she is His, and He is hers! He is gathering lilies, which I believe represents a humble heart which is fragrant to Him!
Times of Desperation Help Us to Develop the Bridal Cry for Jesus to Return
These times of desperation God will use to develop within us the Shulamite’s cry in Song of Solomon 8:14: “Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountain of spices.” Our hearts will cry out for Jesus to hurry and come to us in our hearts with unbounded freedom, like a hart, a male deer on the mountains of spices, those “spices” of the Holy Spirit. He will develop in us a yearning for Jesus Christ to return physically as outlined in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18! This passage is commonly referred to as “the rapture” of the Church at Jesus’ return!
You Will Get the Victory!
Are you at the end of your rope? Hang in there, friends! Jesus is coming for you, too! He will show up in your worshipful heart! He will anoint you afresh with His Holy Spirit! You will get the victory in your heart and eventually in your circumstances, as well!
God Will Hear Your Prayers and Your Cries!
Are you at the end of your rope? Do you feel like you can barely hang on? Psalm 102:1-22 is really encouraging:
Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not Thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping. Because of Thine indignation and Thy wrath: for Thou has lifted me up, and cast me down. My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass. But Thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever, and Thy remembrance unto all generations. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For Thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory. When the LORD shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. For He hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem; When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
God will hear your prayers! Your cries will come into His ears! Are your days consumed like smoke? Do your bones feel burned as a hearth? Does your heart feel smitten and withered like grass so that you forget to eat? Does your groaning voice cause your bones to cleave to your skin, at least spiritually? Do you feel like a pelican of the wilderness or like an owl in the desert? Are you like a sparrow alone upon a house top? Are your reproached all day long by your angry sworn enemies? Do you eat ashes like bread and mingle your drink with weeping? Is God testing you? Do your days feel like a shadow that declines, and you feel withered like grass? There is hope, my friends! Our good God has not changed! He will arise and have mercy on Zion, or Jerusalem, and on you, too! The Lord is returning in glory! He will regard your prayer when you feel destitute! He will not despise your prayers! He hears your groans and will loose you if you are appointed to death! You will praise Him for His deliverance! (If you have committed a crime, you may or may not have to serve the sentence; but God will be with you if you turn to Him and give you overcoming joy!)
Are you at the end of your rope? Psalm 18:4-6 says, “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears.” (The rest of that chapter is so encouraging. If you do not have a Bible, you can read it at such free websites such as https://www.biblegateway.com and https://biblehub.com.)
Our Good God Promises to Provide All We Need!
Are you at the end of your rope? Psalm 103:1-14 offers us many promises and much hope:
Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Like a father pitieth His children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we are dust.
Praise the LORD! He is SO GOOD! Our souls are enjoined here to bless God’s name and not to forget any of His benefits! Are you at the end of your rope? What do you need from God today? Forgiveness? Physical or heart healing? Protection? Lovingkindness? Tender mercies? Food? Renewed strength? Deliverance from oppression? Understanding and compassion? God promises us all of these things for those who put their trust in Him! Praising God and blessing Him for all His benefits will encourage your hearts, my friends! He will renew your strength like the eagle’s!
He Will Never Leave You!
Song of Solomon 1:13 tells us about our Beloved Jesus, “A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.” My friends, when you are in your “night” seasons of trials, Jesus, your wellbeloved, is like a bundle of myrrh in your heart. He is with you during your whole “night” of trial, and He will never go! He is there purifying you like myrrh and never leaving you!
God Will Restore Your Soul and Give You Joy, Deliverance, and Answers!
Are you at the end of your rope? God and Jesus will use your trials to make you more spiritually intimate with Him! He will heal your heart and your body and keep you company! He will deliver you from demons and enemies! He will restore your soul! See Psalm 23:3: “…He restoreth my soul.” Again, He will give you the strength to mount up with wings like an eagle! Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Hang on to Jesus! He is your hope! He is coming to you and for you! Your joy, deliverance, and answers are on the way!!!
Word definitions taken from: Strong, James, S.T.D., L.L.D. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible. Royal Publishers, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee 37203.
My friends, tell me how I can pray for you as you may be at the end of your rope! Send me your prayer requests on the Contact Form on the Contact page of my website!
Contact – Bride Of Jesus Ministry
Here is the link to my recent blog that explains the Shulamite’s paean of praise in Song of Solomon 5:10-16:
If you want to delve more deeply into the study of the Song of Solomon, here is a link to the commentary my husband, Charlie, and I wrote:
A Romantic Journey With Jesus: Commentary On The Song Of Solomon – Bride Of Jesus Ministry
Here is a poem I wrote at such a time when I was at the end of my rope. It is #20 in my poetry booklet “Journey To The Promised Land”. [See link below.] At that time, I found that living for God and repenting of living for myself was the key for God to bring me into experiencing His unconditional love and out of that desperate state! I found His love is enough reason to live!
20. Enough Reason To Live
Delirious tiredness
drunken with drought
Weary of living, could
wish a way out
Blinded with loneliness
burdened with grief
Bordering hopelessness
begging relief
Tears flowing out of me
time to reflect
Master whom living for?
motives dissect
Servant of God or a
slave to my need?
Looking to Jesus or
lusting with greed?
Change of perspective and
challenged for sin
Sorry for selfishness,
searching for Him
Faith resurrected with
foolishness done
Ready to serve for His
race to be won
Waiting on Jesus and
willing to fight
Rise up like eagle
returning to flight
Purer perspective and
passion renewed
Power—all needed, so
pleased He pursued
Deeply He wants me, so
dear to His heart
Soaking in Love for me
strength He imparts
Climate of earth often
cold, naught to give
Relished by God, enough
reason to live
Here is a link to this poetry booklet:
Here is another poem from the same booklet above I wrote when I was at the end of my rope and spiritually anorexic. This is actually my favorite poem I have ever written. I pray you will find hope and encouragement in reading this poem, #22.
22. With Me To Be One
My Lord, I am hurting and dying inside
I’m craving Your comfort, to in You abide
I feel anorexic in heart and in soul
I need You to feed me, restore me to whole
My bones I can see while they cleave to my skin
I’m starving for love, and I’m wasting within
My bowels are clinging to dust of the earth
The hunger pains raging because of this dearth
I’m parched to the core, my tongue sticks to its roof
While others don’t notice, and friends stand aloof
I’m crippled with sorrow and pierced by neglect
And wilted with longing, by loneliness wrecked
I’m desp’rate for You, Lord, I need You today
To nurture my heart, take this anguish away
Please feed me and fill me and quench all my thirst
I come to You empty and place You as first
And then I discover Your presence is near
You know all my agony, see every tear
Your heart, too, was broken and pierced through with grief
You know more than any how to bring relief
Your being was famished; Your tongue was, too, dried
So bitterly lonely, with anguish You cried
You, Shepherd, were stricken, and all Your sheep fled
By stripes of rejection and nails of hate bled
They stripped off Your clothing and gambled to win
While You hung there watching and paid for their sin
Your priests stood there mocking, increasing Your pain
Not knowing their Passover Lamb was being slain
The thieves also taunted and railed at You, too
Though they justly punished, but innocent You
For thirst they gave vinegar, sponge on a stick
Insulting, impersonal, mocking, a trick
You cried to Your Father, but He looked away
To punish You, Lamb, for us sheep gone astray
Your day turned to night; and the sky grew black, too
How could it rejoice with the death You went through?
The veil of the temple by God torn in two
Your body the curtain that tore also, too
You “Father, My spirit receive” loudly cried
And then with this precious plea, willing died
My Lord, I am speechless, know not what to say
To thank You for suffering for me that day
My speech is too shallow, my heart is too small
To fathom Your love and to take in it all
My sorrows, afflictions, sins, hunger, and loss,
My death—all You took when You died on the cross
Was not just for others, but specially for me
That day when You suffered and died on a tree
To have me forever, to have as Your wife
To heal me and love me, to be all my life
My sorrows are small when I think of Your pain
Though through them discernment of Your love I gain
You want me, a cripple, to You matters not
Could never be diff’rent, Your cripple You bought
My heartaches, paralysis—staging for Love
As You draw me closer and take me above
My heart’s deepest longings You placed inside me
Because it delights You to satiate me
You never are selfish, You’re lowly in heart
It thrills You Your tenderness to me…impart
I never could earn You, Your worth has no end
Could only adore You and love You, my Friend
Could never repay You, and wouldn’t dare try
Can only surrender and hungrily cry
I need You, dear Jesus, I want You so much
I long for Your tenderness, ache for Your touch
I’m bitterly homesick and so lovesick, too
I’m pining to have You, at last to see You
Then sweetly You show me my hunger for Thee
But palely reflects all Your longing for me
The reason I’m hungering for You, the Son:
You deeply are longing with me to be one
Here is one of my favorite encouraging songs by Tauren Wells called “Trenches.” God is with you in the trenches, my friends!
Here is a favorite song of mine to give hope, “Hold On” by Twila Paris:
I love “Victorious” sung by Mandisa. This comes from her album “Freedom”, which I highly recommend if you are at the end of your rope! You can listen to some songs on the album on youtube.com.
Here is another wonderful song of Mandisa’s called “Broken Hallelujah”. If all we have is a broken hallelujah, let us worship God at the end of our ropes anyhow! We may find Him filling our worship with His precious Presence at last!