Amy's 'momentary trouble'

A few months back, in one of my postings, I painted the mental picture of my family enduring a flooding, raging storm and as my children and Amy clung to me in an effort to keep from being swept away by the storm’s violence, I firmly clung to the foot of the cross of Christ. What do you think the storm represented? If you thought it was Amy’s cancer, you’d be wrong. The storm represents fear, doubt, desperation and feelings of powerlessness. Things that are the antithesis for faith. And as the storm…these feelings…buffeted us, it was our clinging, our faith if you will, that kept us from being swept away. But what about Amy, you may ask…she DEFINITELY was NOT swept away. She didn’t feel like it was her time and she definitely didn’t want to leave the kids and me, but she NEVER succumbed to fear and doubt and her faith, which is of greater worth than gold, never wavered.

Heb. 11:1 - Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Webster’s on-line dictionary says faith is: “Allegiance to duty or a person, fidelity to one's promises, sincerity of intentions, belief, trust in and loyalty to God, firm belief in something for which there is no proof, complete trust, something that is believed especially with strong conviction.” These are all great descriptors of faith, however, when you get down to the dirt and grit of real life where sweat, pain, blood and emotional strain rule, sometimes faith and moreover living in faith can best be defined as "Just plain old hard!"
Have you ever been in a situation where your faith is really tested, I mean REALLY tested? Or have you wondered where God is in the mist of your personal ‘storm’ even though you've cried out to Him for deliverance and have seen none? Have you found yourself with no where to turn, no real answers, no relief, no peace and no light at the end of the tunnel? Have your heart and mind been filled with anguish, doubts, fears and desperation and faith seems more like a distant concept then present reality? I have…you KNOW I have and I don’t doubt that many of you have as well.
Why does God allow us to go through these parched, desert times of the testing of our faith? James 1:2-4 tells us plainly, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James knew what it meant to live by faith and he knew what it meant to have his faith purified. That's right, purified.
It’s easy to have faith in God when we are sitting in our easy-chairs, in our air-conditioned homes, with our remote controls in one hand, and a bag of chips in the other. That kind of faith is easy. However, it leads nowhere - except to the easy-chair. But, take it all away and you will find out what kind of faith you really have. Take away your comforts and your security and then what kind of faith will you have in God? You will quickly find out what you are really made of. Will you grumble about your circumstances and whine at God or perhaps even be so bold as shake your fist at Him or will you turn to Him in the midst of your trial, sweating…scraped…dirty and bleeding and by faith, praise His name and continue to trust Him even beyond your ability to understand?
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says – ‘We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.’ Real trials provide for us a rare opportunity to actually praise the Lord of Heaven when life is difficult. It is THAT kind of praise and faith that is pleasing to God (Heb. 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him). And, it is that kind of faith that builds your character (James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything).
Now, faith is not a substance that you put in a jar or detect with a meter. Faith isn't a cream you apply to protect you from something. Faith is belief, trust, etc. The key to understanding faith lies not in faith itself but in the OBJECT of faith: God! Faith is only as good as who you put it in. Faith in a false god is useless and it WILL NOT save you. But faith in the ONE TRUE God will save you. You see? Faith is only as good as who you put it in. Faith in the true God results in salvation (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8). Faith in ANYTHING else gets you, well…you know.
Finally, Romans 12:4 says that God gives a measure of faith to everyone. Okay, so what do you do with this measure of faith? During the times when you are ‘hard pressed and struck down’ do you withdraw it from your spiritual walk, whine and complain, only to be faithful again when things get more comfortable? Or, do you continue on in faith (because it is in the Creator of the Universe), in spite of your circumstance, and do exactly what the Bible says: "The just shall live by faith," (Hab. 2:4)? To live by faith means that you continue on trusting God because your faith is in HIM and not in your comforts, your health, your needs, your emotions, or your intellect. To live by faith means that you trust the Lord in all circumstances. In this, God is glorified and you will experience spiritual growth.

Live By Faith - Chris Rice
I can't feel You movin' inside
I don't hear Your voice whisperin' in the night
And I've never seen You with these eyes
Am I a fool, am I just a fool?
They ask how I follow what I can't see
Why I trust in a love that my arms won't reach
I don't need You, don't need You, to prove it to me
I'll be a fool, yes I'll be a fool
'Cause blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe
And blessed are the hands that keep givin' but never receive
Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin' on
Holdin' on for another day
'Cause that's what it means to live by faith
So I cry for Your help while the world looks on
And they laugh at my hope when all hope is gone
But I'll just keep prayin' when answers won't come
Am I the fool, am I just a fool
For standing alone while they mock Your name
"Well if your God is so good, tell us why all the pain?"
I'm not sure, not so sure that God is to blame
So don't be a fool, please don't be a fool
'Cause blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe
And blessed are the hands that keep givin' but never receive
Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin' on
Holdin' on for another day
'Cause that's what it means to live by faith
In a world where our questions are haunted
'Cause life's not as fair as we all wanted
Where the innocent die, we ask why
And still we await the reply...
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe
And blessed are the hands that keep givin' but never receive
Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin' on
Holdin' on for another day
'Cause that's what it means...it means holdin' on for another day
'Cause that's what it means to live by faith
Yes that's what it means to live by faith
That's what it means to live by faith...

For the love of Amy - V