They say that faith can find a Savior

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" - Hebrews 11:1

It's fairly easy to have faith as a child. It's not as simple to have a childlike faith? Often I feel God's presence so close to me, I know without a doubt that He is there. But what about all those times when God seems so far away, when it seems as if He's not even paying attention to me? God speaks to us in a whisper, in His still quiet voice. But often times I want Him to just scream and shout, and demand my attention. Anything to let me know He's there.

So why doesn't God do that? Why doesn't He do whatever He can to make His presence known? "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29).

Why doesn't He rescue us from all our trials and hardships? As our Father, shouldn't God want to keep us from suffering? "For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts, and tells us that we really are God's children. And since we are his children, we will share his treasures--for all God gives to his Son Jesus is now ours too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later." (Romans 8:16-18)

It has been said that if you want something, you have to work for it. "No pain, no gain". To become a good soccer player you must suffer through years of training and practice. To become a doctor or lawyer you must suffer through of schooling. To be a Christian you must suffer through the pain of humanity.

Life is not easy for Christians and non-Christians alike. God's love is not charity. He doesn't see as us poor souls who are suffering, and decides to take away all our pain. Five times in the book of Luke, Jesus tells his disciples that He must suffer and be rejected. As Christians, those called to be Christ-like, we must also "share in his suffering." And herein comes our faith.

It's easy to follow God and to profess our love for Him when things are going our way. Easy to say "I know God loves me, because He's providing all this for me." That assurance is not so easy to have when we are going through all sorts of struggles and difficulties. 


"Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement." 2 Corinthians 1:7