Faith helps us to the other side of life's tragedies

You know the scripture, ‘This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.’

It’s one of the more commonly known scriptures. Even people who have never picked up a Bible know this one if they went to Sunday school as a kid, or attend church or socialize with people who do.

For some people this scripture is a declaration. They speak it out like a solider saying ‘yes sir!’ to their commanding officer. Maybe without much thought, but simply because they were trained to say it. So there may not be much effort attached to the saying, even if they believe it on some level.

For other people, this scripture is spoken out as an anchor. They are in a tight spot, a rough place, a place between the promise and the provision. They are hurting and they want the hurt to end. But nevertheless they speak out these words as a statement of faith. It is a new day, even though they may not feel its newness, and they make an active choice to rejoice because faith is all they have left to hold on to.

And some people are like King David. They have seen the hope of God in the land of the living or else they would have given up. Their eyes of faith not only speak out these words, but the words have become a beacon, a light to show them the path of trust and hope.

In each of the above examples, a decision is made to go beyond present circumstances. In each case an invitation is extended to go deeper in relationship. In each case more love, mercy and grace are available for those who want it.

The key to whether we accept the invitation, or not, is our ability to trust and hope. 

Belief hinges on that.                                                 

                           

Both parts of the scripture depend on it. “This is the day the Lord has made.” 

Do we choose to believe that God's actively involved in each day of our life? Do we choose to believe that God knows our situation and circumstances? Do we choose to believe, no matter what our eyes or logical mind may tell us?

Then there’s the second part of the scripture. “I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

If our answer to the above questions are “yes,” then the rejoicing and gladness flow from it. There is no hope without trust, and there is no trust without faith.

In order for us to receive the full benefit of the scripture, to see the promise behind it, there needs to be faith. And faith is dependent upon relationship. After all, we can’t have faith in someone we don’t know. 

So, why then, is there a scripture from Joshua (talking about being bold and courageous) up at the top of this blog post? 

Because it's important to acknowledge that faith isn't some form of cheap grace. 

It's refined and strengthened during hard times. Hence the irony of the situation. Faith can help us through difficult situations.  But just as faith isn't dependent upon our feelings, it also doesn't always take pain and disappointment away. Hard things sometimes happen to faithful people.

However, ultimately, it's faith that helps us to the other side of life's tragedies. Because knowing these things about faith; it's inter-connectedness with trust and hope, founded in deep relationship; will help us keep our faith strong and growing.

Photo Credit: www.ibelieve.com; www.biblestudytools.com