The Year That Was...

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties”. The great author and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis stated, “But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world”. Jesus Himself attested to this truth when He said, “In this world you will have tribulation.”

Life can be undeniably difficult. Life in Christ is freeing…liberating…a journey with hope. Yet we cannot escape from the unsettling truth that this same life is dotted with multiple and various trials. It is in those periods of “the valley walk” where the depth of our faith is tested.

One year ago tonight, every fiber of my faith was tested.

My comfortable, clean version of “Pastoral Faith” was being called out; to be live out; demanding a public demonstration of what I’ve been preaching. I will spare the details as they are not important but what is important is that we fully grasp the truth that at some point, at some time, in some way what you believe about faith, spirituality, and Christ will be placed in the kiln of adversity.

For you, this difficulty may be living with the news recently received from the doctor. Maybe it is trying to comprehend how the money will outlast the month. For some, their story of the storm is walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Others experience the pain of losing their job and are left feeling desperate and fearful.

It will happen. Adversity will call your name. Here are a few things my family and I have learned over this past year and I hope it will encourage you. When the hard times come…

Remember, God is Sovereign. God is who He says He is. Fundamental to coping with your crisis is having a sure, strong view of God. In other words, can He be trusted? His word says so. His word states emphatically that God is absolutely sovereign. Our adversity has already been filtered through the infinite mind of a Holy God who is passionately in love with us-nothing will ever separate us from Him! And if He is for us, who/what can be against us?

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38

Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the one who kills and gives life; I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from my powerful hand! Deut. 32:39

Remember, God’s grace is all-sufficient. Hard times can sap the spiritual fortitude from the best of us. Often our difficulties leave us feeling disheartened and disillusioned. Yet it is in those weary times God’s grace comes beside us, refuses us with Holy strength to hope again. And here’s the amazing thing; it’s in these times that the gospel and glory of Jesus is so richly displayed in us.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. II Corinthians 12:7-9

Remember, God is the Defender and Source. No matter what man says or does, it is God’s view and support of us that matters. Don’t place your value in the opinions and actions of others. People are broken and messed up and they do broken and messed up things-I know because I am one! Place your hope and value in the One who is faithful and unchanging.

But God is my helper. The Lord is my defender. Psalm 54:4

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Remember, there will be a day. I know this sounds a like a spiritual cliché but it is true-the adversity will end. The storm will subside and calmer waters will return! Let the process and purpose of difficulty run its course knowing that it will end.

Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. II Corinthians 4:16-18

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. Romans 8:28

After 19 years of ministry and marriage, I can confidently state this past year was a journey of trusting God like I never have had to do. It has taught me to appreciate more my greatest earthly advocate, my wife. Without her and her support, this year would have been far more difficult to endure. This is not a path we would have chosen but God in His infinite wisdom has made beauty from our ashes. He has led us to plant a new church (www.mycommunitychurch.net). He has helped us persevere through the adoption process to where we are so close to getting our little girl from China! He has drawn our family closer together than ever before. If I had it to do over again, I’m not sure I’d change a thing.

I close with this- this past December, my family and I were visiting a local church. Though the “rawness” of our July 2010 experience had worn away, we still hurt. As church began, a Christian artist named Laura Story came on stage to lead a Christmas worship service. She was good. But her final song, “Blessings” resonated with my wife and I. Read the lyrics through the lens of your difficulty and let The Year That Was….fade into the distance of the Lord’s unending love for you.

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace, comfort for family, protection while we sleep. We pray for healing, for prosperity. We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering. All the while, You hear each spoken need yet love us way too much to give us lesser things


Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near? What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear. We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near. We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love as if every promise from Your Word is not enough. And all the while You hear each desperate plea and long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near? And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?


When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win, we know the pain reminds this heart that this is not, this is not our home. It's not our home.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen - I Peter 5:10-11