We know God can show up in powerful ways for his people, often defying human logic. And it’s only natural then to pray for and desire these outcomes personally in our story as well. But God does not always intervene as such, and yet we must remain anchored in our faith all the same. God’s story is much larger than the particular outcome of ours.
On the one hand, we can read the stories of the great heroes of faith who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, parted seas, and put whole armies to flight. And there’s no reason to doubt God still won’t display his power and glory in our lives today, and to pray for him to do just this.
But we must not forget, others also strong in the faith, were also tortured, chained in prison, stoned, and sawed in half. Their story ended in tragedy from a human perspective. And yet they’re still considered heroes of the faith as they refused to turn from God and kept their hope grounded in the better life still to come.
And this is how we ought to live as well – desiring God’s breakthrough while remaining committed in our faith regardless of the outcomes. We hold on when we’re shut out of the lives of our loved ones, when our wife is emotionally checked out from our marriage, and when pain, suffering, and death constantly harass those in our community. To be sure, we pray for the most favorable outcome we can imagine, while keeping our faith anchored in the goodness of God despite the outcome.
Of course, much grief follows when our immediate story ends in heartache. But even here our faith is not wasted. Perhaps God is using our faith through these dark days to draw others closer to him. Either way, we trust God is working these things out for good.
In the end, keep your faith anchored in God even through dark days – providing a beacon of hope for both yourself and others.
