Faith, which is trust, and fear are opposite poles. If a man has the one, he can scarcely have the other in vigorous operation. He that has his trust set upon God does not need to dread anything except the weakening or the paralyzing of that trust.
Category Archives: Trials
The best we can hope for in this life is a knothole peek at the shining realities ahead. Yet a glimpse is enough. It’s enough to convince our hearts that whatever sufferings and sorrows currently assail us aren’t worthy of comparison to that which waits over the horizon.
Postscript for Hope
Godly perspectives
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“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Ephesians 1:18-19
We have a pair of binoculars stored in our closet that belonged to my parents. I remember looking at them as a child and learning how to use them. Employed correctly, they provide clarity; however, used improperly they distort making matters worse than if they had not been used at all. The same principal applies in our lives when we fail to look at things from God’s perspective. This is true with respect to both our circumstances and our interactions with others. It is a matter of hope and faith.
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Images of Hope
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Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
For several years after I became seriously ill, I didn’t plan any events in my life. I had no confidence that I would be around for the long haul, therefore, planning was out of the question. The problem was a lack of hope. While I still had the hope of eternity, I had no hope that God would sustain my body or that I could endure. Eventually, that lack of hope made my soul sick. Thankfully, God sustained me and slowly began to educate me on the finer points of living well before Him. One of those lessons was that there seem to be two kinds of hope: jubilant hope and steadfast hope. While I had witnessed plenty of examples of jubilant hope e.g. the hope that comes with: salvation, marriage, or a healthy newborn child, and the like, I had no living images of steadfast hope to lean on. The culture in which I was raised didn’t deal kindly with people who openly discussed their problems and therefore, was devoid of discussions regarding God’s use of trials to mold, shape and equip them. In that light, let’s consider a few images of steadfast hope, specifically hope that is: teachable, observant, patient, resilient, faithful trusting that God is enough.
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To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings.
Controlling the Uncontrollable
Strength in Weakness
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“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
My wife and I went to a dinner theater last week with my aunt, uncle and a few of their friends. Shortly before the intermission, one of the ladies in our group collapsed into the lap of the woman sitting next to her. Admittedly, given her symptoms, most of us thought that she was dying. Thankfully, by the time the ambulance arrived, she had recovered enough to walk to the gurney. After spending the night in the hospital, she was released with a heart monitor. Aside from the obvious concerns for those involved, it raised a deeply rooted fear of my own. As much as I accept God’s will in my life, the thought of a public medical emergency still haunts me…and I’ve had a few. For many of us, it raises concerns about embarrassment, image, and acceptance. Ultimately, we cannot control the events of our lives, but we can control our response to them with a bit of truth.
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Our sorrows are all, like ourselves, mortal. There are no immortal sorrows for immortal souls. They come, but blessed be God, they also go. Like birds of the air, they fly over our heads. But they cannot make their abode in our souls. We suffer today, but we shall rejoice tomorrow.
Pride and Humility Part 2
Humility Extolled
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O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror. Psalm 10:17-18
As I stated in the last post (Pride and Humility Part 1 – Pride Renounced), we live in a culture that promotes autonomy, independence and self-assuredness. When controlled, these characteristics are useful tools in life. However, left unchecked, they will likely lead to pride. Prideful arrogance impedes a relationship with God, inhibits relationships with others, multiplies guilt, brings dishonor and insures judgement. Alternatively, humility is often despised by our culture because it appears to be the weaker trait. However, it is desired by God because it yields rewards in both this life and the one to come. Following are a few of the benefits.
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Deliberate Pursuit
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But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12
I’ve watched several people die…it’s not a particularly pleasant experience. The closer you are to them, the harder it is. The longer it takes, the more time you have to think. That time and that pondering offer an opportunity for personal reflection in a way that no other experience does. As someone you love is on the brink of entering eternity, what is important in life seems to be much clearer than when we are in the daily race meeting deadlines and running errands, etc. Knowing that a loved one will shortly meet their Lord and God allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us and apply God’s word to our lives in ways that drive home His message with more depth and understanding. In short, it is a wake-up call to pursue a life well lived…that is, to live intentionally rather than passively.
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Suffering is unbearable if you aren’t certain that God is for you and with you.