In Too Deep?

As a result of the series we just completed at church, "If God Is Good ...," I began reading the book with the same title written by Randy Alcorn. Today I wanted to share some of the initial insights I have learned in the first few chapters.

As you might expect, the book has to deal with difficult situations. If you follow this blog, you know that in recent posts I've been writing about personal struggles my lovely bride and I have been enduring recently. Quite probably due to my current situation, the early pages of Mr. Alcorn's book seem to resonate deeply with my soul.

On page 12 he wrote: "If you base your faith on lack of affliction, your faith lives on the brink of extinction and will fall apart because of a frightening diagnosis or a shattering phone call. Token faith will not survive suffering, nor should it."

That kind of slaps you in the face, doesn't it? If your faith isn't tested, how can you know if it is real? Well, I have to say, having lived deep in the muck of life for the past who knows how long, I have to say my faith is real. Each day I wake up knowing there is a God, knowing he is in control, and knowing he has conquered death. My faith is real.

Turning to page 14 we read: "I never expected that a Christian who had access to God could feel so empty and alone." This describes someone who was crying out to God in the midst of their difficulties, and yet felt alone. It kind of sounds like Psalm 10:1, "Lord, why are you so far away? Why do you hide when there is trouble?" (New Century Version)

What about Psalm 44:23-24, NCV: "Wake up, Lord! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Don't reject us forever. Why do you hide from us? Have you forgotten our pain and troubles?"

What about when you are feeling like God has abandoned you, does that mean you are in too deep, that you've lost your faith? Habakkuk felt like he was. In Habakkuk 1:2-3 we read, "How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds." (NIV)

I think the proof your faith is real is despite feeling abandoned, you still cry out to God. Why would I cry out to someone in whom I didn't have faith? If I'd lost my faith, wouldn't I start looking elsewhere for answers at the moment I truly felt abandoned? If I simply went back to the same god out of convenience, despite feeling neglected and alone, wouldn't that pretty much make me hopeless?

So, God shows me my faith is real by allowing bad things to enter my life. Sometimes, in the midst of those times, I feel abandoned. My response at that moment determines if my faith is real.

If my faith is proven true, then what? In Jeremiah 32:42 we read: "This is what the Lord says: Just as I have brought all these calamities on them, so I will do all the good I have promised them." (New Living Translation) God allowed calamities to enter our lives, but when we rise above them, showing our faith is true, we have his promises of good to look forward to as well.

Unfortunately, sometimes that good isn't realized in this world, but that is another blog post. I want to leave you with one final thought from Randy Alcorn's book. On page 38, having just described several situations where Christ followers had endured difficult situations, including death of loved ones, Randy says: "We need only read Scripture, look around us, or live long enough in order to learn that trusting God doesn't ward off all evil and suffering. He never said it would." (emphasis copied)

We will face trouble in this world. How we handle those times determines whether we are in too deep.