Where is Jesus when life is hard?

"Blessed by the Lord, my rock, 

who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;

he is my steadfast love and my fortress,

my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield and he in whom I take refuge,

who subdues people under me."

Ps 144: 1-2

Count is all joy, my brothers, when you meet trails of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
James 1: 2-4

I love these two sets of truths from God's word!  Today, I hold to them and affirm that they are true truth!

I think these truths run counter to what many Christians around the world have been told about the Christian life.  We have been told, and our heart so desperately wants to believe it, that Jesus will make everything better.  Those who follow Jesus do not have troubles!  We have been taught that we should do our best and Jesus will take care of the rest.

Then we are shocked at the injustice and difficulties we face!

While these ideas do have some merit, they can only be really understood against the backdrop of following Jesus in a fallen world.  Make no mistake about it, we live in a world that is really unjust, ungodly, and often at odds with living an authentic and true life.

In other words, what if the Christian life is more about struggle than victory?  What if our experience is meant to be marked more by warfare than by peace and security?  What happens if our growing in dependence upon Jesus occurs within the context of struggle more than those rare and brief times of peace and security?

Yes, the Christian life is more often than not marked by struggle.  Yet, there is joy, peace, and power in the struggle as we learn to rest in Jesus!

Against what do we struggle?

We battle against the world system that is turned against God.  Its goal is to make the things of God look foolish and to make that which is foolish look great.  The more complete the world's system is against God, the more difficult it is to identify the worldly pull away from truth and righteousness.  We must struggle against the world.

We battle against our flesh.  Our flesh or sinful nature never leaves us.  Even in the most godly person there is a constant struggle against our inward pull away from God.  When the world also matches perfectly with our flesh, as it does in the affluent parts of the world today, the pull of the flesh looks and feels so natural and good.  We must struggle against the flesh.

We battle against the devil.  There is personal evil in this world that seeks to destroy the work of God.  It is personified in the fallen angel named Satan, but he also has a host of demonic associates who work behind the scenes.  These forces empower the world system.  They tempt the flesh.  Then the accuse the believer for being such a hypocrite.  We must struggle against the devil and his schemes.  

How do we fight?

First we must realize we are in a struggle.  We have enemies who are shooting at us and the Church.  They are seeking to eliminate truth and righteousness from every area of life.  If we do not "seek His Kingdom and His righteousness" we will be made ineffective in our struggle.  

Do not be surprised at the trials and difficulties you face.  It is part of life.  In our fallen world, we live in a state of constant struggle.  Relationships are so easily broken.  Security is shaky at best.  Trouble is a constantly unwelcome companion.

Yet, God uses them to "train our hands for war, and our fingers for battle."  Through these struggles, God develops a character of "steadfastness" and strength.  It would be so helpful if we merely recognized God's training program!

All of our trials, all of our struggles, all of our conflicts should point us to the only true "fortress, stronghold, and shield in which we find steadfast love, a deliverer, and a refuge."  Even the process of aging and approaching death can be used to prepare us for everlasting life with our creator.

There is more to life than just this life and our experience of our life.

We are created to know and experience God's love and mercy.  It is found in the gospel.  It is lived by repenting of our sin and self-sufficiency while we look to Christ and His righteousness as our bread of life.  Lord have mercy upon me is a prayer God never despises!  He will send His mercy and grace to us, even in the midst of trials, when we ask Him for help.

Today, may we enter the battle.  May we witness, affirm, and engage in God's training program.  He is the Lord and He loves us.  There is no other god.  Come to Jesus and ask for His grace to believe in His love and watch care as enough.