Since the sermon last week, I've heard from several folks who found an illustration that I used during the message particularly helpful. I've posted an edited version here for your review...
If I were to visit the beach with my family and take my two year old daughter Sarah into the waves, they would quickly start to affect her ability to walk. Even standing still in waves just up to her waist would soon become difficult and her feet would begin to sink into the sand because of the under-tow. As the waves plowed into her, she would struggle to keep standing. Then I would strategically take her into the waves, and while I did so, I would encourage her, saying “Sarah, you must stay close to Daddy and you must hold on, or you could get hurt”.
Perhaps, to encourage her to be brave and to learn what it feels like to be in bigger waves; to help develop confidence as well as a respect and healthy fear of the waves all at the same time, I might take her in a little deeper. As her loving Father I would never take her in deeper than was safe for her, even though she may feel like it. I may take her to the brink of fear but I would never torture her – I would be compassionate on her. My goal would be for her good and I would not allow her to bear more than would be necessary for her good.
As we transition into deeper waters, she might grab my hand more firmly and start to consciously rely on me as she becomes more aware of my need for her. With a mixture of fear and excitement, knowing she was holding me, she would charge into the wave with me. And as her dad, I would enjoy her dependence and reliance on me but I would be holding her even more firmly than her grasp on me.
When the waves begin, Sarah may enjoy the first one but soon the novelty wears off and the frothing of the waves along with the sudden rush of water in her face may deter her boldness. After a little taste of sea-water in her mouth, she might even start to pull back out of the waves. Fear might begin to creep in, where confidence once led her with me into the swirl of water and sand.
No matter what she thought though, as her Daddy, I would never let go. Even if her little two-year old grasp failed, I would still be holding onto her and never let her drown. A wave or two may frighten her or she may feel as if she will go under, but I would use all of my power so that she was in no way harmed and instead only helped, strengthened and encouraged by the situation – though maybe shaken.
Although she would not really be aware of what was transpiring, I would lift her up when the big waves came but lower her again to let her feel the little ones, until she grew more stable on her feet, learning to adapt to the shifting sand and the pull of the current.
Most likely, she would eventually find new-found joy in the waves, holding onto me but starting to enjoy the experience more as she began to trust in me. Her anxious glances up at me as if to ask, “are you sure this is ok?” would soon turn to happy looks of confidence in me as she began to rest in my arms while springing up and down in the waves. In the end, when we returned back to the beach to rest, she would be simply gleeful - telling her siblings about the great experience she had with dad and how she leapt over the waves.
Yes, it is true that in our Christian walk we must have faith in God and yes, He uses our faith to guard us, but in reality, it is He who holds us more tightly than we do and He will guard us and sustain the very faith the He requires.
Will we go through suffering? Most likely, yes, but as Peter wrote, only if God deems it. We should not be worried that we will suffer – God will guard our faith and He will keep us. We can take confidence knowing that our suffering will never be arbitrary – God is not out to get you. He does not want you to drown. His goal is to cause you to grow in your faith, to grow in becoming more like His son who went before us – the firstborn of the new creation and our joint-heir.
God, the loving Father who knows best will only allow us to suffer if necessary and only then for a little while – while we are on this earth.
Suffering was not a part of His original creation but He sometimes purposes to use suffering, if it is necessary, to actually help us, strengthen us, encourage us and increase our awareness of His grasp and our total dependence on Him.
Will we at times feel as if the waves are too much for us? Perhaps. But He is a loving Father – more loving than I could ever be towards my two-year old daughter and more loving than any earthly Father and He has said he won’t allow more temptation than we can bear – in Him.
He is also a more powerful Father. More powerful than me and than anything or any force in all of existence, both physical and spiritual and His grasp will not fail when the waves hit us in the face. We hope in God who guards us and who guards our faith, even when we’re not sure we will have enough faith to face the waves of suffering, even if they loom large in our eyes.
