Faith no matter what

Sometimes I feel like God sends me the same message over and over until finally it hits me between the eyes and I say, “Oh God, I get it!”  Below are the messages I recently received that lead to one truth we must all remember.  I hope they bless and comfort you as much as they have me. 

I heard this same story told in two completely different places this week.  It’s about a young boy who is at the age he should prove he is a man.  So the boy’s father must take him out to the woods, sit him on a log, blindfold him, and leave him alone overnight.  If the boy stays there all night, without removing the blindfold, he would then be considered a man.  As the boy sat there, alone in the dark, he could only imagine the terror that surrounded him.  Still, he stayed.  The next morning when he could tell the sun was rising, he removed his blindfold, only to find sitting next to him on the log was his father, who had never left his side.  This story is a great illustration of how we may feel at certain times in our life.  When it seems we are all alone, in a dark place, scared of what the future holds, we must always remember that God is right there beside us.  Protecting us and waiting for us to seek Him for help. “For You, Oh Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor, You will surround him as with a shield”. Psalm 5:12.    When the darkness is gone, in the morning we find that He never left our side.  And thru the darkness, if we cling to His promises, our faith will grow.   Arise! Shine!  Your new day is dawning.  The glory of the Lord shines brightly on you.  The earth and its people are covered with darkness, but the glory of the Lord is shining upon you.  Isaiah 60:1-3.

The title of our sermon Sunday was “When God Seems Distant”.  Our Preacher taught us that every person at some point in their lives will go through a time of feeling like God is not there.  He said “real faith prays when you don’t feel like praying”.  I wrote this in my notes and it immediately reminded me of a conversation I just had with my nephew.  He called me to talk about the health of someone we both love dearly.  Daniel gently reminded me that “faith is not faith until it’s tested”.   Finally! My “Oh God, I get it!” moment!   

Whether I feel close to Him or not, He is always there, always listening, always watching.  Real faith prays when you don’t feel like praying, even when you don’t think He’s listening, because in the end it’s not really faith, until it’s tested!  Is He testing your faith?  Oh what a glorious test to pass!

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation on your souls.  I Peter 1:8-9.