Tim Turner

24 Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD. (Psalms 31:24)

24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? (Romans 8:24)

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Coincidence isn’t something I put much faith in. So when a lot of the same thing seem to pop up in life I think its wise to considering paying closer attention. For a while now I’ve been noticing one thing in particular keep showing up in my life. A deep sense of impending suffering, and a deeper hope I should place in God to get me through it.

I’d feel a little arrogant thinking the coming storm was meant for me alone, so I have no doubt that its going to have an effect on others, but its also obvious to me now that God has something for me to learn. Life may get really hard all of the sudden. In this country in particular many of us are not used to life being very hard. So, what then do we do when life throws us to our knees till they’re bloody and torn? How do you believe when you can’t see five minutes ahead, much less see God? I heard a fantastic answer today in a song by Building 429(Lyrics)(Hear it)

The story behind the song is simple, but powerful. The first verse is about an event in which Jason Roy met a woman in an autograph line that had lost her child, and told them the story of how the child was killed by her ex-husband. The story weighed heavily on him, and he started to write the song as a cry, and as a question to God. The second verse is about his own experience as a child with his father leaving, and the pain caused by the event. The thing is, though, the answer to the question is found in the chorus:

But I believe always always
Our Savior never fails
Even when all hope is gone
God knows our pain and His promise remains
He will be with you always

God keeps His promises always. In Hebrews 13:5 it says we will not be left or forsaken. Considering we have no right to demand anything of God, its a pretty huge deal when the Creator of the universe tells you that He will always be there, no matter what. The thing I think we all forget about our life with Christ is that no where does the bible say Christianity includes an easy button. No where do we see our lives becoming magically perfect and never will another hardship fall on us.

The painting in the picture is a birthday present given to me by my amazing friend Lacey. On it is a quote that never ceases to ring a chord with me. The quote is from The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis and happens in a conversation between the children and the beavers. Mr. Beaver is telling the kids about Aslan the lion and they ask if he is “quite safe.” I think this is a perfect view of Christ. There is nothing safe about Christ, but Christ is good. Better than anything else in the world.

As a result of our walk with Christ we may find that we have to sacrifice much more then we are comfortable with, but He is good. The world will hate us for it, but He is good. Faith may cost us everything, but He is good.

No matter what the cost is for us, however, God fulfills His promises. We can have hope that even when we are beaten and bloodied God is with us, always.

One dreaful glance over my shoulder I essayed. Not long enough to see, or did I see? The rim of the sunrise that shoots time dead with golden arrows and puts to flight all phantasmal shapes. Screaming I buried my face in the folds of my teacher’s robe.

“The morning! The morning!” I cried, “I am caught by the morning, and I am a ghost!” but it was too late.

-The Great Divoce by C. S. Lewis

To add a little bit of meaning to the above quote you need to know about the book it is from. The Great Divorce is a short novel by C S Lewis about a man who takes a bus ride from hell to heaven. Upon arriving he discovers two things. For one, he is a ghost. The man in the novel witnesses “solid people” who come and explain that he too can become solid. Second, he discovers that in his ghostly form, he cannot effect heaven. When he steps on the grass, it does not move, instead it feels like spikes in his feet. When tall grass gets blown in the wind and brushes him, it feels like a boulder knocked him over. The book on the whole is a hard look at grace, good, and evil. Throughout the book though there is mentioned the end of time when the “twilight” of hell will turn to the darkness, and when the sun will rise to morning in heaven. At that time will be the end of evil.

I couldn’t help but listen to that last part of the story over and over again. Christ said He’d come like a thief in the night when no one was expecting(not even Him by his own admission). Do you ever ask yourself what it would be like if Christ showed up face to face tomorrow? The more I learn about Christ the more I’m appalled by my own behavior. My stomach clenches a little bit at the idea of have to face Christ in my current state of being. That is why grace is so amazing. Just as I’m terrified by my own screw ups, I’m more grateful than ever for how much I’ve been forgiven. I don’t think Christ intended for us to live in fear of His coming. I think He wanted us to be prepared, because in that process of preparation we grow closer to Him.

How much more beautiful will it be when we see Him face to face if we have pursued a likeness of Him? I think its more than we can understand, but I do know this. On the day the dusk becomes the morning, I intend to stand in the rays of light. Not be caught as a ghost.