Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Richard Cecil
Faith Looks Ahead
When we put our trust in Christ, we begin to look forward to a new kingdom; a kingdom without death, sin, sorrow, and suffering, and where God will wipe away every tear once and for all (Rev 21:4) and we will actually see God for the very first time (Rev 21:3) as we see Him face to face as the Bible says, “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” (Rev 22:4). Isn’t that something awesome for us to look forward too?
Faith Endures the Present
If we took scales and put the sorrows of today against the eternity that is to come, there is simply no contest for the joy that’s set before us. The Apostle Paul writes “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18) so it’s really not even a close contest. There is no comparing today’s suffering with the exceeding joy that is coming.
Faith shows Trust in God
When we trust God no matter what things look like, we are telling God, “God, I don’t trust what I see with my eyes…I trust You no matter what things look like.” That’s because God is sovereign over all things, including nature and can supernaturally intervene anytime He wants to and whether good or bad things happen to us “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).
Faith Saves Us
Aren’t you glad that we are not saved by works because then we’d always be wondering if we did enough good works to save ourselves but thankfully it is “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9). God saves us but not by our works but for us to do works as Paul writes that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10).
Conclusion
Richard Cecil, in writing that “In the midst of sorrow, faith draws the sting out of every trouble,” he is saying that troubles work together for our good, even though it doesn’t feel good at the time. For those who have repented and trusted in Christ, we look forward to an eternal kingdom not made with hands; we are able to endure present sufferings by looking forward; we show trust in God by believing Him and not believing what we see with our eyes; and we know that we’re saved by faith and that’s enough for me to rejoice always.
