“Rain,
Rain go away. Come again another day.” I used to sing this little
verse when I was small, stuck inside gazing out the window like the
two kids on the first page of the Cat
in the Hat
book. Yet sometimes, I find myself singing it even now...not about
the “wet stuff,” but about the “hard stuff.”
I
don't know why I don't expect trouble in my life. You would think
that I would know that it was just part of living. Scripture tells
me so. Believers in the Early Church experienced
mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.
They
were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put
to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins,
being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated
(men
of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains
and caves and holes in the ground (Hebrews 11:36-38).
And
we're not exempt either. James 1:2 says, Consider
it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever
you face trials of many kinds...
So
it's not a question of “if” we will experience difficulties as
Believers. It's just a matter of “when.”
How
do we cope with this? How can we stand strong during these times and
not falter in our faith?
The
answer is pretty straightforward: We must KNOW Him. We must know
the mind of Christ, and in order to know the mind of Christ – what
He desires from us and for us – we must know His Word.
A
great place to start is Matthew, chapters 5-7 (the Sermon on the
Mount). This section of Scripture explains kingdom-life for the
Believer. It tells us how to respond to God, to each other, to our
enemies. It covers just about every attitude and situation that will
arise.
As
a matter of fact, before you go any further, it would be great for
you (and me) to read all three chapters right now. Okay, go ahead.
Get your Bible and read. I'll see you back in a minute.
So
are you done? Boy, that was fast!
Did
you see the last few verses of chapter 7? Those verses contain the
answer to our questions and concerns. They give us hope that even
though we WILL face trials and troubles, problems and persecutions,
rain and even ice, we still have the ability to stand strong in our
faith.
Therefore
everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is
like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
The
rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against
that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the
rock. But
everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into
practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
The
rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against
that house, and it fell with a great crash (Matthew 7:24-27).
The
rains will come. The streams will rise. The winds will blow and beat
against you. Yet, if you have heard the words of Christ and put
those things into practice, your faith will remain strong. You won't
falter. You won't fall. You will stand and stand strong.
On
the other hand, if you hear His Words and don't choose to put them
into practice, then when the rains come and the streams rise and the
wind beats against your life, then sadly, you won't stand strong.
Your foundation will give way, and “great” will be your crash.
Study
the Word. Put His sayings and teachings into practice. Search for
Him desperately in the pages of your Bible. Then smile at the storms
when they come. Stand confidently in the midst of rain, and look
forward with hope to what comes after the wind.
I
praise You, Jesus. I praise You that You didn't just leave me here
on this earth without any help...without any instructions on how to
live. Instead, You have provided me with everything I need to
glorify You in my life through my struggles. Thank You, Father.
