If my faith were visible, I imagine it would look like it had been in a street fight; bloodied, bruised. I do not question the existence of God, but given multiple challenges, I feel like (note word – feel) He has decided not to be around me. Sorrow, disappointment, and prayers that seem to bounce from the ceiling, demand that I reach for the deepest reserves in my heart and mind. I can identify with the words from the hymn, “O Worship the King” – “Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail; in Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail. Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end. Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.” We are fragile, dusty creatures, aren’t we?
I know that I am not the first, nor the only person who has known this kind of testing. “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day?” (Psalm 13:1-2, NLT) In another psalm of lament, we read: “O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?” (Psalm 10:1, NLT) Those passages are a great comfort, a reminder that my soul fatigue is no sin in His eyes.
Psalm 73 is a song of a man with a bruised faith. He says that he looked around at those who did not fear God and it appeared they were living the good life! “They seem to live such a painless life; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They aren’t troubled like other people or plagued with problems like everyone else.” (Psalm 73:4-5, NLT) He found himself full of envy, doubting God, wondering at the unfairness of it all until he says … “I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood … Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” (Psalm 73:17, 25-26, NLT) When our emotions scream for relief, when our vision narrows down to “right here, right now” — we must simply trust, wait, and hope for the embrace of grace.
It is important, too, to pause; to look up; and to give thanks for the rest of life. By God’s mercy, I realize that my life is not defined only by disease or difficulty! There is the promise of Eternal Life that cannot be taken from me. There is love of friend and family which make me a rich man. There is the beauty of the earth that fills my eyes with wonder. And there is Jesus!
In a way that might sound twisted to some, I am thankful for the grace I find in the dark! Kim Kuo, widowed after her husband’s long struggle with cancer, writes that ”especially in suffering, we can dive below the shallow waters and touch another’s heart and soul . . . There were moment when we thought we could not take anymore. But, the hard truth is our experience transformed our hearts and radically challenged many others. If our lives are truly about glorifying God, then our only option is glorify Him where we are.” (Christianity Today, 9/15, pg. 43)
Are you around someone who is fighting for faith, bloody, raw, sometimes impatient or angry? Don’t judge and hold the criticism! Resist the urge to offer a pat on the back or a platitude. Instead, offer your ear and your shoulder! Ask God to give renewed courage and a moment of rest.
A long time ago, someone told me that I just needed to “Be Jesus with skin on.” Jesus wept with those in pain! He touched those who were unclean in the eyes of others. So, too, let’s offer a touch, a hug, a prayer for comfort. A reminder that says “I’ll have faith for you right now while you’re hurting so badly,” blesses the suffering saint much more than a sermon about the unchanging faithfulness of God.
Here’s a word from the Word, the 73rd Psalm to which I referred a moment ago.
Know it. Sooner or later, you will need it, too.
“Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. . . .
When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” (Psalm 73, NIV)
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O worship the King,
All glorious above,
And gratefully sing
His power and His love:
Our Shield and Defender,
The Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor,
And girded with praise.
Frail children of dust,
And feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust,
Nor find Thee to fail.
Thy mercies how tender!
How firm to the end!
Our Maker, Defender,
Redeemer, and Friend!
O Worship The King
Kethe, William / Haydn, Johann Michael / Grant, Robert / Gardiner, William
© Public Domain
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Jerry D. Scott, Pastor
FAITH DISCOVERY CHURCH
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