The Shortest Verse in the Bible

My Sunday afternoons are usually reserved for naps. There’s something about Sunday afternoons that just demands being indoors, in your comfort zone. Unfortunately, I couldn’t seem to sleep today. To make it worse, my sister was in the room and it’s not easy to shut up when we have a thousand stories to share with each other. But soon, she had to leave for school, and I was left alone.

After about an hour, for some reason, my whole mood just changed suddenly. I just started to feel so low. There isn’t an incident that I can confidently point out to say, “this is why I am feeling crappy about myself, my future and just my life in general.” Have you ever felt that way? When you just start to feel sooooo looooow. It feels like the world is happening, and you have been left alone in this little ditch you can’t seem to get yourself out of. It’s even worse when it’s in the morning and you just feel like assuming the foetal position, staying under covers and sobbing the day away. Why? Sometimes you don’t even know. I’ve felt this way so many times. And I. HATE. IT. It seems to go on forever!

I tried everything I could to cheer myself up and dig my way out of this ditch I found myself in. I tried to play a game – I kept losing. I tried to nap again – my mind was racing. I tried to read – I couldn’t concentrate. I still felt so low. Then I decided, let me try to pray. I don’t think I’ve ever offered a disorganised prayer like today. It was jumbled, and half way through, I burst into tears. I was feeling so embarrassed that I am feeling so down, and I can’t even tell why I feel that way. I said, “Lord, I’m so sorry I feel this way. I don’t even understand myself. Could you please, just help me out?”

It would be so perfect if I said I felt soooo much better after that prayer, but that would be a lie. I felt even worse. I felt like my prayer didn’t even make it past the ceiling. It was as if I was digging myself deeper in this little depressed ditch. Eventually, I drew some strength and went for family altar. We are on the book of John, and we read how Lazarus was sick, but Jesus didn’t show up till he died. Then, when he did show up, he wept. Then I remembered something – when I was very young, we were told to memorise verses at Sunday School so we could recite them in church, and the first verse I memorised was John 11 verse 35: Jesus wept. It was one of those verses I never really understood but also didn’t put much thought into. But in this moment, when my strength was gone, and I was feeling horrible about everything, I stopped and thought, “wait a minute, the Son of God wept?? He actually had emotions?”

Dear friend, you may find yourself in a similar position, when your spirits are low, life seems dull, things are not going the way you would like them to, friends have neglected you, everyone seems to have their life moving, except you. I get the feeling. You are not alone; and please please, your feelings are valid. Don’t feel guilty. Just remember these two very important words: “Jesus wept”. May it be a reminder that God himself came to walk upon the earth, and he felt what you feel. He knows exactly how it feels to be low. He knows what loss feels like, heart break, pain… and he understands when you don’t even have the right words to say. He is there and he will hear you.

It brought so much joy in my heart to know that after he wept, he had the power to turn the whole situation around and command, “LAZARUS, COME FORTH!” and he performed a mind blowing miracle. Doesn’t that cheer you up? That you have a friend that can hear your heart and also have power to turn things around? That surely got me out of the little pit I felt like I was stuck in.

I hope this quotation can be an encouragement to you:

-You can never exhaust God’s love and mercy to you. You say, “Well, I hate to bother You so much, Father.”

He wants to be bothered that way. He does. Don’t never think that you could ever ask too much of God. I believe the Scripture said, “You have not, because you ask not. And you ask not, because you believe not.”

He wants us to ask and believe that our joys would be full. He wants you to ask abundantly. Ask for big things; don’t limit your faith to some little mustard seed. Get on out here to some other kind of faith, and move out in big things. Ask… Big things is just as easy to receive as little things. You just have to believe; that’s all. And you got faith, just know exactly how to use it, and it’ll be all right. You can put it right to work and it’ll just be fine. Could you imagine, talking about exhausting God’s love, and power, and beneficiaries for you. Could you imagine a little bitty fish, about that long, way out here in the middle of the ocean say, “Now, wait a minute. I better consider this thing. I better drink of this water sparingly, ’cause I might run out someday.” A little fish, about that big, in the middle of this ocean out here…

Well, that could easily be done, more easier than you could ask too much of God. He’s the inexhaustible Fountain of Life. Whatever you have need of, ask Him and believe it. He provided it in the redemptive blessings when He died at Calvary and gave a promise to you for everything you have need of while you’re in the journey. And it’s yours, if you’ll ask and believe it. That’s right. 

Could you imagine a little mouse, about so long, under the great garners of Egypt, saying, “Now, wait a minute. I better not eat but just about two grains a day, ’cause I might run out ’fore the winter’s over.”