In the Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” It’s easy to have the faith of a giant when there is money in the bank and everyone is healthy and happy. But faith becomes challenging when the road grows dark with uncertainty and there is no glimpse of light.
Waiting tests our faith. Maybe you’re in a season of waiting right now. If not, I bet you know someone who is. Like many of you, I have friends who are waiting out test results, medical procedures, chemotherapy, unemployment, job interviews, broken relationships, mortgage lenders, court rulings, infertility, and adoption agencies. As we experience long and taxing wait times, we develop a deeper understanding of what we really believe about God. Our faith develops in the dark.
During long seasons of waiting our faith ebb’s and flows. Even the most mature believers experience times of discouragement. King David spent years waiting to take the throne after God told him he would become king of Israel. (1Samuel 16) Still, King Saul persisted in absurd tactics and shenanigans, and from David’s perspective he seemed to be getting away with it. David experienced a long string of mind numbing cruelties at the hands of King Saul that would’ve sent the strongest among us running for the woods. (1 Sam 16-30) But David didn’t hide in the woods and we shouldn’t either. The text says, “But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6)
There are times when, we too, need to strengthen ourselves in the Lord. Life will get hard just as our cheerleading section leaves the building. Our faith tank will run low.
How do we respond in those instances? I think the Bible suggests at least two things:
- Ask God for more faith. If the apostles asked, so should we. Luke 17:5-6 says, “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ And the Lord said, If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea’, and it would obey you.” If we are wise, we will continually ask God to increase our faith. God wants His children to increase in faith. In fact, Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those to seek him.”
- Immerse Yourself in God’s Word. Without a steady intake of God’s Word, we’ll quickly become spiritually anemic. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.” In this context, Paul was writing about the faith that is necessary for salvation, and comes only by hearing the gospel, and the message that must be heard is the Word of Christ. But the Word of God continues to edify our faith long after we become Christ followers. Psalm 119:92 says, “If your law had not been my delight; I would have perished in my affliction.”
Of course, there’s no way of knowing how long our seasons of waiting will last. On occasion, we’ll all find ourselves walking on a dark road and the trip will take far longer than we planned. But let’s not run for the woods. Like David, let’s strengthen ourselves in the Lord and keep walking. Our faith develops in the dark. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor 5:7)
