Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 34:19 (NKJV)
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that
I would see the goodness of the LORD in the
land of the living.
Psalm 27:13 (NKJV)
You and I are going to face transition and change throughout life. Some transitions will be stressful, others may produce a crisis or bring joy. Some, but not all transitions in life are predictable, while others will occur unpredictably. Generally, though, they will come whether we are ready for them or not.
Faith can and should make a difference in how we respond to life events. But it is also true that life events affect the development of faith. There is a mutual interaction that takes place between faith and the crisis we encounter in life.
The life of faith for a child of God is a life often layered with troubles, trials, affliction, and crisis. What relieves the people of God in such cases is faith. Without faith all we have to go on is sense. Sense sees no good in troubles and affliction because it can only discern based on the outward or what is seen. So, when we feel nothing but pain, we begin to wonder how can God love us? Sense is unable to untangle and unfold the riddles of providence.
Faith in contrast helps us to avoid two extremes. The extreme of slighting which means to take too lightly the struggles we go through and the extreme of fainting which leads to giving up and giving out when we face the bitter pills of life. The length of our pain may feel long at the time because of our desire for blessings hoped for. The longevity of our pain at times may feel overwhelming because we measure things by the wrong standard of measurement. Faith sways us to use the standard of scripture computation.
The measurement of faith says it’s not as long as it might be because of His grace. Faith determines it’s not as long as it seems to be because of His mercy. Faith speaks to our hearts that it’s not as long as it should be because of His long-suffering. Faith during crisis encourages our soul by reminding us it’s not long compared to the glory that shall be revealed.
The comfort that comes to the people of God in crisis is that it shall turn to good. If we have but a little faith, we will know this for the present and be assured of it before we see it. If we have but a little patience, we shall know it by experience. Singly and apart they may be against us, but all taken together are helpful. God’s work in our lives can never be viewed by halves only by the whole plan.
Faith is a relationship with Jesus Christ that transcends physical circumstances. Often, we turn faith into a quantity. Faith is not a quantity; it is a relationship. It is not simply characterized by what one believes but how one lives by faith. Faith transcends our crisis and embraces the Eternal. Faith in Jesus Christ brings life even in the clutches of crisis.
