Wednesday, November 2, 2011

If Your Faith Is Shaken...

I have ran with the same friend for years. We meet at a small church parking lot near a stretch of sidewalk where we love to run. We have memorized what red light marks a 5K, what subdivision makes four miles and which fire hydrant adds up to five.

Along this path, our friendship has deepened. We have ran and laughed. Even jumping with excitement over victories the Lord has allowed. I have also ran and cried along that concrete trail. We both have. Sometimes we've been so deep with hurt we could barely speak a word. All we could do was slow down and keep moving.

Running. A parallel of life. Laughing. Deep joy. Victories. Grieving. Crying. Hurt. Silence. Endurance.

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31,32


Jesus and Simon Peter had ran some distance together. They did life. Peter was the chosen one - The Rock of the coming church. But Jesus knew that Peter was about to walk through the roughest terrain of his journey. The sifting of Simon Peter. The sifting of wheat? How does that translate to us today?

John Piper says, that the sifting of Peter and the others is "Satan's effort to destroy their faith. And this remains Satan's main goal today. It is relatively unimportant to Satan whether we are healthy or sick, rich or poor; what he wants is to sift out our faith. If he can do it by suffering he will try that; if he can do it by wealth, he will try that."

Do you know what astounds me the most about this passage? Here He is. Jesus - Fully God. Fully man. The power of His Word able to bring the world into existence. But, look at Jesus' response.
"I have prayed for you...that your faith may not fail."

What? Why didn't Jesus pray for Satan to call it off? Isn't Peter important? I mean, He could have said no. "Sorry Satan. Peter is special. He's my Rock. I need him left alone. Pick on someone else."

No, Jesus allowed it. Why?
For Peter's faith to increase.

I am betting that Peter was a bit confused by this. Why would his Lord, his Teacher, his Friend let anything bad happen to him? I have felt this way, too. Haven't you? But Peter was about to learn that it is "through suffering and trial our faith is refined. We are drawn to rely ever more heavily on God and we are moved to cherish his grace more strongly. Satan has his role to play in fanning the flames of our refining furnace. We must be sober in our prayers, fight the good fight and anticipate the victory of God at the perfect time." -Piper, On the Sifting of Simon Peter.

Friend, is this where you are today? Are you being sifted as wheat? Do you feel as if you are on a big mesh sieve being shaken to your core? Are you tired? Torn? Weak? Desperate? Your faith on the brink of failing you?

When (not if) but when this happens, let us be of great courage. Faith can not fall through mesh. Continue steadfastly in prayer. Your wind may be knocked out... you may have to slow your pace, but for Heaven's sake, keep running. Your eyes staying fixed on the Prize. Place your hope in the one who can save you. In the one who runs beside you. Put your hope in the one who is praying that your faith may not fail.

Jesus.

4 comments:

  1. Girl, I've definitely felt this way! I wrote a post a week or so ago about feeling like I'm in the refining process. I know it will ultimately be for my good, but it's not exactly fun when you're feeling like you're in the fire! In the "Made to Crave" study I'm leading at church, Lysa TerKeurst says (in regards to the battle with food, but it could be applied to any battle, trial, sifting, refining, etc), "What if it's actually the very thing, if brought under control, that can lead us to a better understanding of God?" She goes on to talk about how great it would be if we got to the place where we were thankful for it "because of the rich treasures we discovered on the battlefield." And as I know you know, there are RICH treasures to be discovered in Jesus & in His Word! <3 {sorry this comment is so long!}

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  2. I have had one of "those" weeks where literally if one big hard thing happened.... so would 3 other hard things! My faith felt like it was lessening, I told my husband I felt my "affections for God lessening" and I hate that. This post, I found through FB, has revived my heart and I feel like I want to fight for my faith to remain as strong as ever even through this rough trial!!!

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  3. UUUMMMMM! What wise, soul lifting words. The thing is that satan's pursuit to destroy our faith is powerful and it can actually knock the wind out of you. All you can do is cling and I mean cling to the word, true prayer warriors and constantly invoke the holy spirit to intercede for you, as well as constantly beg God to strengthen you with a stength that passes all earthly understanding. The honest truth is that it can hurt and I mean hurt bad. Zapping every ounce of hope that was in you and truly making you not just angry and in doubt of what God is doing, but on the brink of throwing in the towel. It's not easy. Let the tears go, don't hide the pain and let it out. God in the trinity will meet you there and then you can slowly begin to heal and your faith will begin to build back up!

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  4. FAITH IS THE ASSURANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE BELIEF OF THINGS NOT YET SEEN. HEB. 11:1

    When you are truly being sifted then speak this verse out loud constantly.

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