“Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still 
intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.” – C.S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters
Faith can be hard. Our whole life on earth, for as long as we are Christians, we are called to have faith in God. It’s not always easy, though. There are times when I, and I’m sure all of you, have questioned the very faith I so desperately cling to. These are our most trying times, and they are our greatest tests.
Rarely in this life do we ever get direct contact with God, instead relying on still small voices and gentle reassurances. These, and many more proofs, are ample evidence that He is there for us… at least at our best. When you are plagued by doubt and struggle to find evidence for the seemingly distant Father you swear you believe in, then, it may not be enough.
What then do you do? Consider this quote from Joseph Solomon:
“Honestly, I’ve considered quitting, but where will I go? Back? There’s no home for the living in the land of the land of the dead so I keep pressing forward.” – Joseph Solomon, A Shadow of a Doubt
“Where will I go?” That is the plea of a man wholly reliant on God. When you have such a faith, that even in your weakness, your last resort and your safety net is God. Not your addictions, not your friends, not the life you used to cling to, but just… God. I pray we all could have such a faith because, if we did, Satan would be hard pressed indeed!
How then do I grow in my faith in such a way that my natural instinct becomes to fall back on God, even if I can’t even feel that He’s there? The answer is simple, yet, as with many things, difficult. All you have to do is rely on God. First in the small things, then in some more, then a little bigger things, until you trust Him so completely that you don’t know what else to do in times of trouble but fall back on Him.
When we really look at it though, there is really no other person, thing or idea that we can trust to fall back on besides God. Who else is all knowing, all loving, and all powerful? Who else has a plan to take care of you that He enacted from the very beginning of time? Who else cares about you as much as the one who created you from the dust of the earth? Who else? No friend, no other god, not even our own family, is as able or as willing to look after us, strengthen us, and protect us as well as the mighty Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider.
I always enjoy reading your blog and the Truths you present. Thank you for your honesty and for sharing this Biblical Truth! When we draw near to God He draws near to us! We must consistently draw near and seek Him first and we”ll know His love and presence in amazing ways!
Great post, Darrel! It caused me to recall John 6:67-69, “So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Christ is the One who has the words of eternal life. Even when this temporary life here on earth seems confusing, our convictions should drive us to the one who gives eternal life. What encouragement!
Thank you so much for that Theron! I had never found that verse before, but that fits in perfectly with what I was trying to say. I’ll need to highlight that in my Bible tomorrow and memorize it!
I was thinking of the same verse while reading this Theron. It’s one of my favorite verses.