O Me of Little Faith - Part 1

Did you ever notice that when things go bad in your life they seem to always occur in bunches? Many times I have prayed and said to the Lord "Hey, this was bad enough already without You piling on more." Thus, we often find ourselves "venting" our frustrations to God and "at" God." 

Recently I was reflecting on just how bad my situation has become (this is not a "vent" or "rant," just reality as "I" see it through my eyes). I need a job, but I can't physically do it. My pain is worse than it has ever been, yet there is nothing that can be done about it. I need to see my doctor, but I don't have the money. If I did see him, he would refer me to a specialist, but I can't afford them either. There are medicines doctors have recommended that might help me, but I have to tell them that I don't have the money. There are foods that could help me nutritionally, but once again, can't afford them. We only have one vehicle, so even if I wanted to get out of the house, I can't. We can't afford the gas to make trips back and forth to town. We owe thousands of dollars in medical bills that we can't pay. The bill collectors won't leave us alone. We go hundreds of dollars in debt every month with no way to pay it back. We will lose our home eventually because we cannot afford and are not physically able to do basic upkeep on it. We (and many of you) could literally go on and on and on!

The "piling on" becomes a viscous cycle that seems like it will never end. It weighs us down physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It robs us of joy. Worsens our health. Strains our relationships. Makes us feel helpless. Disturbs our sleep. Upsets our stomach. Gives us the "shakes." Raises our blood pressure. Increases our anxiety. Challenges our faith.

It is the mental strain that becomes the most debilitating of all. In his book "The Problem of Pain," C.S. Lewis wrote:

“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.”

As I looked at just how bad things seemed to be in my life, I realized two things. First, all around this country there are a lot of people who face similar or worse difficulties in their lives. There are millions of families, like ours, that have to make gut-wrenching decisions every month. Choices between food, medicine, doctor visits, health insurance, gas, utilities, clothing and shoes for themselves or their children, etc. Which ones to pay and which ones to do without. Secondly, as Christians, I realized that when we find ourselves in such circumstances, we should be MORE dependent on the Lord than we have ever been in our lives. But that is seldom the case. Why is that?

When we contemplate our difficulties, we come to our own conclusions about what is going on. Obviously, God has not come through to help us. It seems that our prayers have not been heard, much less answered. Surely, God knows that our circumstances hinder our testimony about what He means in our life. Just think of all the good we could do for the Lord if He would just remove these burdens. What possible "good" does all of this suffering and anguish achieve? Why do "those people" not have to suffer? They are far worse than I am! Lord, it's just not fair! To which the Lord would reply something like this, "Read My Word from cover to cover and show me where I ever said that life was fair? In fact I said just the opposite."

One thing I have learned through all of this is that my own perspective about these things is wrong! I don't mean occasionally wrong or just a little wrong, but WRONG with a capital W!

You see, I (and most of you) see our lives and circumstances with extremely limited vision and knowledge. We are limited to what we can see, hear, touch, and smell. Furthermore, our minds are limited by our own beliefs as to what is possible. For example, the account I gave in the first paragraph was strictly the "facts" of my situation. The context for those "facts" arose from my own feeble attempt to understand them. "I" made the assessment that, in my view, things were going to hell in a hand-basket. "I" deduced God's lack of effort in our circumstances solely from the "facts" as "I" knew them. Therefore, the assumptions "I" made were limited to what "I" know. So, naturally, my response to the situation is limited to "me." No wonder things seem so bleak and hopeless. No wonder peace and contentment were nowhere to be found.

In the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul wrote:

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.(Philippians 4:11-12 (ESV)" 

The key word in this passage is the word "learned." Notice that Paul did not say that contentment came naturally to him. He did not say that all of his education and training helped him one bit when it came to contentment. In fact, earlier in chapter 3, Paul said that all of the things that he had thought were important or made him important were nothing but "rubbish (or dung)." All that mattered was Jesus:

" I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ" (Philippians 3:7-8 (NLT)

Paul said that he "learned" how to be content. How did he do that? By going through difficulties and circumstances in his life. How can we know what contentment is like unless we experience turmoil and distress first? How can we know just how good God is, if we had not first experienced life without Him? Those who do not have a relationship with Christ live a life seeking light and meaning in a world that knows only darkness. Followers of Christ are to have a different perspective:

 John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

John 12:46 "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness."

In the "Darkest Night," Christians should take comfort in the Light of the World. The HOPE we are looking for is not in the payment of bills, relief from pain, healing of our infirmities, or anything else. Our HOPE is in Jesus. He has total control over our situation. In the blink of an eye, He could make everything that seems wrong in our lives disappear. Why doesn't He? Because He wants you and me to trust Him no matter what. To be satisfied with what we have instead of what we don't have. To be willing to say, "Lord, I don't understand why You have put me in this position. Honestly, I don't like it one bit. But, I have learned over the years that trying to live my life by trusting in my own abilities, judgement, and wisdom have failed miserably. When I try to fix things, they only get worse. I acknowledge, Lord, that there is a peace that passes all understanding available to me if I but trust You to carry me through this Dark Night."

The prophet Habakkuk shows us exactly how we are to live in light of circumstances that make no sense, seem to be unfair, and happen to people who don't deserve it. When God told Habakkuk that He was sending the ungodly Babylonians to take His people in Jerusalem captive and march them to Babylon for their refusal to obey the Lord, Habakkuk could not believe it. A good and merciful God wouldn't do such a thing. God said "the just shall live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4). 

Just what did God mean by that? He meant that those who truly follow Him must have a faith that says that no matter how bad things are or seem to be, I will trust that God will work it out. No matter what! Habakkuk put it this way:

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. (Habakkuk 3:17-19 (ESV) 

When our faith allows us to rejoice in the Lord in spite of pain, financial hardship, physical infirmities, loss of jobs, and anything else you would add to the list, then we have found the contentment and peace we so desperately seek.

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,"(Romans 5:1-4 (ESV)

The things that are going on in your life and mine have a purpose. The process God uses is difficult to undergo, but the process leads to greater endurance, character, and hope. 

So, now go back and reexamine just how bad things seem to be in your life now that you can do so by seeing them as God sees them. I did! Now I don't see difficulties, but opportunities. I don't see hopelessness, but abounding hope and joy. I don't see a God who is indifferent, but a God who cares for me more deeply than I could have imagined. I don't see darkness, but wonderful and brilliant light. I see Jesus in all my circumstances, and suddenly, my circumstances are no longer mine, but His. I can rest in perfect assurance that He has it all under control. What a relief! What a blessing! What a Savior!

Watch and listen to the video below. It has been a great blessing to me on many a Dark Night!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUWbmtbzDno