The Bible appropriately likens this to ‘a smoking flax’. To one degree or another, perhaps we all have either been, are, or someday will be a proverbial smoking flax – like the barely or dimly lit wick of a flickering candle whose light seems ready to expire…completely.
According to Isaiah 42:1-4, Jesus, God's Servant will not quench us (i.e., not put out any remaining indication of a flame) when we are like smoking flax. Rather, He rekindles our hope and faith by drawing us into His presence where there is fullness of joy.
The article cited below (“The Bruised Reed”) concludes with a story in which a fellow quips to his friend, "If you love me, tell me where I hurt!" This speaks of effective listening skills of a loving friend – being able to paraphrase accurately that which we have listened to …and heard. No doubt there is a form of quasi-healing in just sharing our lengthening lists of hurts and woes with a caring heart and a hearing (not just a listening) ear. Having been frequently on both ends of this deal, I now see that, though helpful to a degree, such sharing can easily become rather addictive and even harmful to our healing. The cautionary words of Jesus, “…take heed how you hear” (Luke 8:18), could also infer ‘take heed what you hear’.
While being able to understand and recite all of a friends' hurts, once heard and understood, it is far better, isn't it, to help put and keep in place an appropriate healing balm on as many of those hurts as possible. God's gracious Word, relevant to each hurt and bathed in the fear/respect of The Lord, is the best healing balm available. Designed to be health to all our flesh, strength to all our bones (including ligaments and tendons!), peace to our minds, and healing hope to hurting hearts. (Proverbs 3:8, 4:22, 16:24), it literally 'covers the works!' The tragedy may well be our reluctance to receive, apply and sustain this needful balm, in favor of yet another friend who will listen and recite to us, “Where do I hurt?"
Next time you feel like your candle of hope is about to go out, may this post gently remind you to search for that Christ-like friend who will neither quench it, nor join the chorus of friends who can only recite to you their perspectives and the details of all your hurts. Such may inadvertently serve only to deepen and keep them afresh in your mind. Rather, search for that friend who, in love, will listen briefly -- with purpose (without getting lost in the minute details), and will aptly help you to apply healing balms of/from The Word, and thereby help replenish the supply of your oil of hope, find afresh the faithfulness of your faith, and rekindle the fire of your determination to overcome by The Blood of The Lamb and the word of your testimony. (Revelation 12:11)
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The Bruised Reed
(http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Meditations/Bruised_Reed/bruised_reed.html)
