We’ve all been there. At some point in our Christian lives we’ve sincerely craved to grow in the Lord and have our faith strengthened. Hopefully you continue to have that desire and are doing just that…growing stronger in your walk with Christ. If you’re continuing to grow in your faith, I commend you. Not because of your success, but because of your sacrifice. I’ve come to realize that those that are strong in their faith and those we call “spiritual giants” have all had to sacrifice something(s). In other words, if you really want to grow in your faith you better prepare yourself for what lies ahead. You see, we are Christ’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10) and it’s His will to chip away all the junk that doesn’t look like Him. It’s a process that doesn’t feel good. It’s a process that doesn’t make sense at times. But make no mistake–it’s a process that must take place if we are to become the person Christ created us to be.

So often we’re guilty of trying to grow in the Lord on our own terms only to be left frustrated, confused, and even angry with God because of the ways in which He chooses to strengthen our faith. You see, you can’t have your faith strengthened without having your faith stretched. God never promised to grow your faith through ease, comfort, and clarity. In fact, He most often uses pain, heartache, and confusion to get us to a place where we can no longer depend on anyone or anything except Him and Him alone. That’s His ultimate desire in stretching your faith! He wants you to learn exactly what Paul learned in 2 Corinthians 5:7 where we walk by faith, not by sight.

It’s one thing to trust the Lord when things are going good. It’s even easy to trust Him when things are just “ok,” but it’s a totally different thing to trust Him in the midst of pain and in the midst of chaos and confusion. God uses small things as well as big things to stretch us and strengthen us. Whether it’s misunderstanding or a miscarriage, criticism or cancer…He allows an array of different things to come our way with one goal in mind, to make us more like Him. If we’re not careful, we’ll let God be God in the good times, but we won’t let Him be God in the tough and trying times. No matter what you’re currently going through, let me encourage you to just let God be God and stop trying to rationalize why you’re going through whatever it is you’re going through and just trust Him.

I love the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in Daniel chapter 3 as it’s a great reminder that God will never leave us no matter the circumstance. For those of you who know the story, we often marvel at the boldness of the three Hebrew boys and the faith they showed in the midst of persecution, but we often miss a wonderful phrase in verse 18 that showed just what kind of faith they had in Christ. In verse 17, the three boys knew God would deliver them, but they didn’t know how He would deliver them. In verse 18 notice the first three words…”But if not”. You see, their faith in Christ delivering them wasn’t contingent on the outcome. They simply trusted Christ to deliver them whether it was by some great miracle or by death. Do we have that kind of faith or are we guilty of praying for God’s will on our own terms? I heard a great saying on faith last week: “Faith is not the confidence that God will do what I want, but what He wants.”

So many people, including myself, often refer to Jeremiah 29:11 as one of their favorite passages as it reminds us that God has incredible plans for our lives. What we often forget is that particular verse was written while God’s people were in exile and being persecuted. In other words, that passage was written as a reminder to His people that no matter the suffering and pain, He had not forgotten them. While this particular passage is one of great hope, it is not a passage that promises immediate help. In fact, it would be 70 years before help arrived in that particular passage! We must remember that it was God’s will for Paul to be to imprisoned, John to be exiled, and for Jesus to be executed. Why do we assume that it’s God’s will for us to have a great life free from heartache, pain, and disappointment? No matter what you’re going through or how tough life is right now, God is working in you and through you to accomplish His goal of making you into His image. Don’t question His methods, trust His plan. Just like the three Hebrew boys in Daniel 3, He will never leave you. He may choose to deliver you out of the fire or He may choose to walk with you in the fire. Either way, He will deliver you if you’ll only trust Him.

I love Job’s attitude in the midst of his persecution. After he lost everything, he never lost his faith in God. He even went on to say, “Though you slay me, yet I will trust you.” Job had the mindset that the three Hebrew boys had. He didn’t know how he would be delivered, but he chose to trust God, even if his deliverance came by the way of death! Take time to listen to the lyrics of “Though you slay me” and let the Lord minister to you in the midst of your hurt, your pain, and your suffering.

Praying for you always,
Dustin