Tough Faith for Hard Times

The deserts of our lives are not pleasant pilgrimages that we journey through at leisure. Most often when we think of a desert, we think of a place that is inhospitable, harsh and fraught with hardship, and the potential of danger. A desert exists geologically as a place where nothing useful grows to sustain life. A few animals can survive there, but for humans, it is a place to avoid, not head toward.

Personal Life Deserts are harsh emotional wastelands, void of vital resources when needed, and have the capacity to break our spirit. In Scripture, many times, the use of the word desert, wilderness, wasteland or dry land is interchangeable. Deserts are places that you travel through, when you have no other way to get to where you need to be. Deserts are real, and they are, tough places to traverse. In a symbolical sense, they illustrate those hard, seemingly unprofitable times when our lives are stymied, on hold, or we are spiritually as dry as a mummy’s breath. 

As a shepherd and soldier, David spent a lot of time in the dry wildernesses of Judah. He often found the need to flee to the desert during times of threat and personal crisis. When he served under King Saul and was suspicious of treachery, David fled to where he had the best chance to find a hiding place. 

In the Desert of Ziph

“David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.” 1 Samuel 23:14

In the Desert Of Edom

On one of David’s many forays into the wilderness, he was being pursued by his son Absalom, and his life was in peril. David went into the desert to find a safe haven, and discovered that amidst the turmoil, hardship and deprivation, his longing for God became an intense and insatiable reality. Deserts have a way of separating us from our natural comforts, and they strip us of the barest of life’s essentials.

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”  Psalm 42:2 
 

In the desert, God can speak to us in ways that He can in no other place. Be it under a mound of unresolved problems, painful discouraging long term health issues, a broken marriage, years of depression, or seasons of dissatisfying spiritual dryness, the desert creates a pilgrimage process, that has but one purpose: to lead us into a deeper life with God.

The Desert Creates a Thirst for God

After days of wandering in the barren wilderness, David trekked deep into the wasteland of the Valley of Baca. The interpretation of Baca (bacah) in the Hebrew could be translated, “The valley of weeping.” It was a dry lonely desolate place. As life became more desperate for David, his heart began to thirst for God. 

“How lovely (Beloved) is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalm 84:1

This was not a muffled sob coming from David but a shrill longing cry from an anguished heart. The word that is here rendered cry, is from the Hebrew, that signifies to shout, or cry out with great emotion, as soldiers do at the beginning of a battle. 

While in the wilderness, with every labored step, he was longing for and crying out to be near to God.

“Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar.” Psalm 84:3

The reawakening of spiritual thirst happens in the midst of adversity, not because of adversity. Trials will not produce revival within our hearts, neither will correct moral responses or behavior. It is as we draw near to God, that He draws near to us. In that synergistic moment we are touched by God and we are changed, and are never the same.

“ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”  James 4:8

The Desert Ignites a Need to Praise God

There is something profoundly powerful and deeply moving, when our heart reaches up to praise God in the darkest night in our personal desert. When God hears the heart inspired praises of a Christian in the desert, it pleases Him for it is the epitome of trusting faith.

“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  I Thessalonians 5:18

When David feigned madness before King Abimelech, and he hid in the dark lonely desert caves at Adullam, he wrote Psalm 34, with a key emphasis on praising God in the midst of adversity.  (See I Samuel 22:1-2; Psalm 142:4-7)

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1

 

That is why David was so moved to praise God in the desert valley of Baca, because he recognized that wherever he was, God was there with Him. In the desert he began to recognize that the God of the Burning Bush, had become the God of the Burning Heart.

“O Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah” Psalm 84:3b-4

The Desert Stirs is a Hunger to Know God

 
While Paul was in prison, he had but one aspiration, “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” Philippians 3:10

Tough times stir the heart to become bitter and disheartened, or they stir the heart to a hunger to know God more deeply. For David, the journey through the Valley of Baca, could only be done with the strength of God. Spiritual strength came in the midst of the valley as he passed through it, not before he entered it. 

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.” The natural heart is a pathless wilderness, full of cliffs and precipices. When the heart is renewed by grace, a road is made, a highway is prepared for our God." Frederick Fysh

 “As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.”  Psalm 84:5-7

The Desert Awakens the Heart to Worship God

There is no more comforting a place than on our knees worshiping God before the Throne of Grace. Everything else fades into silence while our heartbeat harmonizes with His Heartbeat, our purpose aligns with His purpose, and our will responds in obedience to His will. That most often happens in the midnight of our own Gethsemane.

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the Throne of Grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
 

In the desert David was humbled by the majesty of God, and he experienced His presence while in the isolated barrenness of the desert. As he experienced the presence of God, and renewed his absolute trust in God, he could only bow his head and pray,

“Hear my prayer, O Lord God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob.  Selah Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Beloved) O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.” Psalm 84:8-12

Thirst   Praise   Know   Worship

The more we Thirst for God, the more we will begin to Praise Him, and the more we Praise Him, the more we will hunger to Know Him, and the more we get to know Him, the more we long to Worship Him.

When you are in the desert remember that you are not alone...He is there, and it is not your strength that will get you through it but His. 

Take a few moments and reflect upon the meaningful and encouraging message in this song, "Find you on m Knees" by Kari Jobe

Suffering: An Unwelcomed Pilgrimage

The pathways that we all journey in life are often strewn with the jagged edged stones of disappointment. The more worn the pathway through the years, the more evident are the memorials along the way; altars of courage and hope that have been painstakingly made by the faithful trembling hands of fellow pilgrim travelers. 

The stones along the pathway can be easily seen as obstacles to our physical and spiritual health, but God knows that the altars of deeper commitment are actually made of the heavy stones of suffering, sacrifice, and a willingness to be faithful  and obedient in the midst of difficult times of personal testing.

The Reality of Human Suffering

Woven throughout the history of mankind, is the undeniable reality of human suffering. Whether translated from cuneiform tablets of clay, deciphered from the hieroglyphics of Ancient Egypt or painstakingly etched upon leather parchments by a Hebrew scribe, suffering and life are seamless companions. 

 What has always inspired humanity in its search for sustainable hope and courage in the midst of tragedy and loss is not the innumerable examples of suffering found in history, but the indisputable discovery of renewed faith and the realization of the presence of God in the midst of suffering.

God's Compassion in the Midst of our Suffering

In life, we naturally long for pleasure not pain, joy not sadness and happiness not sorrow. We can become so frustrated by the disruption that an obstacle brings to our plans that we miss the precious lesson that we need to learn in the crucible of disappointment when things do not go the way that we expected. 

In the darkest hour of a painful trial we can fail to see the outstretched hand of God ready to provide peace in the midst of the storm and needed strength for the lonely journey that lies ahead.

Helen Keller, reflecting on what is essential in life said, "The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse." 

The Perception we need when we are Suffering

Sometimes it helps to change our perspective of what a valley really is:

A valley is a mountaintop tuned upside down. The thin air and incredible trial of the deepest valley, is just like the precipice  of the most magnificent mountaintop. One should take great joy and kneel in gratitude that he has conquered the place of dark sorrow, still grasping hold of his living faith. He is a victor...not a failure.

When experiencing a physical trial that robs us of health, where we doubt God's sovereignty in the midst of suffering, what we need the most is courage; the courage to lift our eyes from the bleakness of the valley to see the promise of the summit that calls out to us to press on, and not succumb to despair.

God is Near when we are Suffering

The author of The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis, expresses in his book, The Problem of Pain, that "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." 

We fail to realize that God's deepest work in us, the expression of His purest compassion and the discovery of His profoundest comfort is realized not in the ecstasy of sublime pleasure but in His companionable sharing of our suffering. It is in the crucible of personal pain, and suffering, that the Quiet Place can hold precious meaning found no where else...for it is here that we discover a profound truth...When there is nowhere else to turn, nothing left to ease the suffering and no one near to understand what we are going through, He is there. In the Quiet Place we learn more and more that God is enough.

In the wilderness of suffering and loss, we can experience a significant depth in our walk with God as in no other way. 

Suffering is a Personal Pilgrimage

The 19th century writer, Havelock Ellis, penned, "The Promised Land always lies on the other side of the Wilderness."

What a joyous privilege to have found through relationship with Jesus Christ, the peace and wonder of having access to the very Heart of God.  The Promised Land springs up within, and is an oasis of spiritual sustenance and peace, amidst the arduous pilgrimage of the wilderness. 

It is not upon reaching a utopian Eden that one discovers the presence of God, but on the dusty parched trek of the journey itself. 

Drawing Near to God when we are Suffering

On the arduous pathway of suffering, the Quiet Place becomes a hushed haven where tears and childlike prayers, whispered at midnight, are made with an awareness that God will always be there at our side. He is there warming our hearts, strengthening our steps and giving us the faith to not surrender to doubt and despair, no matter  what obstacle may block our path.

The challenge of overcoming physical and spiritual obstacles is not found in a self-help book or made up of a secret formula known only to a few. 

It is in the Quiet Place, that understanding finally breaks through, like the crimson rays of a new sunrise. The Creator of the universe formed and made me, breathed the breath of life into my struggling lungs and gave my heart its first whispered beat. It should not be surprising that this same Creator knows how to lead me down the darkened pathway of suffering, to the Quiet Place of communing with Him.

"You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.”   Psalm 139:2-4

The Refining Purpose of Suffering


It is not the removal of an obstacle that blocks our way, but the discovery of our inability to see that the obstacle may be there to perhaps teach us something within ourselves that may need refining, or some new aspect of the Love of God that He wants us to experience. He knows us better that anyone ever has or ever will. As a Master Sculpture, He shapes the very image of Christ along the pathways to the Quiet Place.

The pathway in life that is free of obstacles probably doesn't lead anywhere. 

^“ When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. in the path where I walk”    Psalm 142:3-4

Please take a moment and listen to this inspirational song by Jeremy Camp entitled  "Healing hand of God"

Where is God When Trouble Comes

Trouble has a way of stalking us like an unwelcome shadow. We don’t awake in the morning and shout,” Wow! I hope this day is just filled to the max with trouble for me. I hope that the worst trials will happen. This is going to be one exciting day!” Quite the opposite is true. We awake with a whispered sigh that we hope that the day goes well, that we really desire less challenges to our patience, and more uplifting positive experiences throughout the day.

The difference between trouble and our shadow is that we can control the cast of a shadow by standing in a bright room. There is still a shadow there but it is so slight that it is not easily seen. Trouble however, is elusive, unpredictable, often unannounced and most of the time, we can see it as caused by something or someone other than ourselves.

The Reality of Trouble

We all go through times of trouble. Sometimes you can feel all alone and without any resources to figure out what to do. You may even find yourself asking, "Where is God when trouble comes?" The Scriptures teach that God is never far away, and especially reminds us that He draws nearer to us in times of trouble. It was Jesus Christ Himself who said to His disciples one day,

"I have said these things, so that in Me you might have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:32-33

Trouble is often Blamed upon God

Some people logically reason that when God is involved in our lives, and if we are seeking to follow Him sincerely, instead of troublesome times, our days should be easier, more stress free and that others would treat us respectfully. When Moses was trying his best to figure out what God wanted him to do, and as he sought to gain freedom for the Israelite's from slavery in Egypt, he found himself up to his neck in trouble and couldn't figure out why. In fact, he started blaming God for the trouble that had come crashing down upon him.

“The foremen said to them, “May the Lord judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!” Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!”  Exodus 5:21-23

In Times of Trouble you can feel Abandoned by God

The tougher the trouble gets, the more we can feel that God has let us down and is not near, but far away. 

“Oh Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble? The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor. Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others. For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the Lord.”  Psalm 10:1-3

The problem is one of perspective. We tend to measure the faithfulness of God by the intensity of our trouble, instead of measuring the intensity of our trouble by the Majesty of our God.

The Reasons for Trouble

Trouble can be God's way to get our Attention

Sometimes the very trouble that comes into our lives by way of difficult circumstances may be God's attempt to get our attention. King Saul was not one to follow God's way of doing things, and he struggled under the prodding of His Spirit. When God's Spirit is convicting our hearts on a matter, it is very uncomfortable and distressing, until we open our hearts and deal with the matter.

“Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, “Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him. Whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.” 1 Samuel 16:22-23  

God's uses of times of Trouble when Dealing with Mankind 

It seems that the only time people cry out to God for His help is when times of trouble come their way.


“For what hope do the godless have when God cuts them off and takes away their life? Will God listen to their cry when trouble comes upon them? Can they take delight in the Almighty? Can they call to God at any time? Job 27:8-10

Trouble can be Blamed upon God’s People 

When troublesome times come upon the lives of others, especially when they are in direct communication with God's people about their need to turn to God and not resist Him, God's servants can become the target of persecution.


“But about this time tomorrow I will send my officials to search your palace and the homes of your people. They will take away everything you consider valuable! Then Ahab summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, “Look how this man is stirring up trouble! I already agreed with his demand that I give him my wives and children and silver and gold.” Don’t give in to any more demands,” all the elders and the people advised.” 1 Kings 20:6-8

Trouble comes as a Consequence of One’s Action’s 

It should come as no surprise, when we know that we have done wrong to another, that troublesome consequences become the by product of our wrong actions.


“But you must bring your youngest brother back to me. This will prove that you are telling the truth, and you will not die.” To this they agreed. Speaking among themselves, they said, “Clearly we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why we’re in this trouble.”  Genesis 42:20-22

Trouble is often removed based upon Faithful Prayer,
Repentance, and Obedience 

When our hearts are right with God, and we seek His blessing and protection, God is pleased to bless our lives.


“There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.” 1 Chronicles 4:9-11

1 Chronicles 4:9 Jabez sounds like a Hebrew word meaning “distress” or “pain.” 

The Results of Trouble

Trouble should cause us to turn to God

If you only pray when you are in trouble, you are in trouble. We have to realize that today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday. God wants our hearts to be prepared, in The Quiet Place, alone with Him, so that when trouble comes, we can step into it with faith, courage and an acknowledgement that God's will shall reign, regardless of the troublesome circumstances that have befallen us.

Notice the example of the Israelites in the Old Testament:

“For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them. But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found Him.  During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land” 2 Chronicles 15:3-5

Trouble Burdens the Heart and is seen by Others 

It is no easy thing to hide the burden of our troubles from others. It shows in our eyes, and the way that we conduct ourselves. We are created to glow from the inside out. The more the heart is troubled the more that it shows. 

Nehemiah could not hide the heaviness of his heart from King Artaxerxes'


“Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence.  So the king asked me, ‘Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.’ Then I was terrified, but I replied, “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” Nehemiah 2:1-3

Trouble Causes a Restless Heart 

When times are tough, we find little comfort or pleasure in life. Job was so overwhelmed that he could only see the dark clouds of trouble that were enshrouding his life.


“So I looked for good, but evil came instead. I waited for the light, but darkness fell. My heart is troubled and restless. Days of suffering torment me. I walk in gloom, without sunlight. I stand in the public square and cry for help.” Job 30:26-28.

Trouble can be used by others to Criticize you

As your faith becomes weakened by the troubles of life, the very friends that once gave respect and affirmation to you, may now so easily become your harshest critics.

“Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees. But now when trouble strikes, you lose heart. You are terrified when it touches you. Doesn’t your reverence for God give you confidence? Doesn’t your life of integrity give you hope? Job 4:4-6

The Collateral impact of Trouble

Times of trouble can cause fallout upon those who are closest to our lives.  Sometimes innocent people are caught up in the consequences of someone else's wrongful actions.

“Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor. Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.” And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies. They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since. So the Lord was no longer angry.”  Joshua 7:24-26

Trouble can Impact others due to Someone's Wrongful Choices

When someone in leadership makes choices that have tumbledown impact upon those who are under their authority, innocent people are impacted by their actions. 

“So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked. “Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Nehemiah 13:17-18

Whole companies and organizations have been shut down and have gone under due to the wrong decisions of  management. Thousands of people have lost their jobs and their homes as a result.

What to Do When Trouble Comes your Way

Spend Extra Time in the Word Of God 

It is critically important to stay in the Word of God during times of trouble. Tough circumstances need Biblical insight to have wisdom on how to deal with them. 

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105

“Your testimonies are wonderful [far exceeding anything conceived by man]; therefore my [penitent] self keeps them [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]. The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple.”   Psalm 119:129-131 

Maintain a Regular Time in The Quiet Place  

Maintain specific times to be in The Quiet Place. It is only as you worship God, and are comforted by His Love that life's troubles come into perspective. God alone can give you the strength you need to work through times of trouble as you wait on Him.  
“I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods. I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your Word according to all Your name. On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul. ”  Psalm 138:1-3

You may wonder, "Where is God when trouble comes?" We all do at times. Just remember that He is as near as a prayer away. The Quiet Place is a special time for you to seek God and gain hope and perspective on life. Read through several appropriate articles found here in The Quiet Place. It is my prayer and genuine hope, that you will find comfort and peace here.