“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.“- Heb.11:6
A story is told of an unnamed Scottish preacher who tragically and suddenly lost his wife. After her death he preached a very personal and honest message concerning his crisis of faith. During the sermon he said he didn’t understand how people could abandon their faith during adversity. He asserted, “Abandon your faith for what? People who live in the sunshine may have faith, but we who live in the shadows must have faith – we have nothing else.”
Charles Spurgeon said, “If we do not believe God when circumstances are against us, we do not believe God at all.” If God can only be trusted during times of blessing, then what good is our faith to begin with? What is the personal benefit of distrust in God? There is none.
Through our losses we learn to value our gain. In our darkness we appreciate the smallest flicker of light. By our thirst we more happily approach God’s well of grace to draw a handful of living water.
Therefore, we cling to God and trust in God when all is lost, not because He is all we have, but rather because He is enough. As E.M. Bounds suggested, “Unbelief puts our circumstances between us and God. Faith puts God between us and our circumstances. ( Seeds for the Soul)
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble, Tx.
