I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
I believed, even when I said, “I am severely afflicted.”
– Psalm 116:9-10
And since we have the same spirit of faith in accordance with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, and therefore speak, knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and present us with you.
-- 2 Corinthians 4:13-14
If you read the verses that precede the ones I’ve quoted from Second Corinthians, you will see that Paul is talking about going through a great trial. He speaks of being pressured, perplexed, persecuted, and pounded.
Every trial I have gone through in the last twenty-five or so years, I have come back to this chapter and read those earlier verses over and over again because, despite being troubled, we don’t have to be distressed. Though we are confused, we need not despair. Even in persecution, we are never abandoned, and being knocked down doesn’t mean we are wiped out. This is endurance. I think of myself as a person who can endure, endure almost anything. Endurance is a virtue – those who endure to the end shall be saved, the Lord tells us.
One who can persevere is like a deeply rooted oak facing the fierce gales of life, remaining strong and in place. Yet there is another way, for it is not only great trees that survive the winds, so do the birds that nest in their branches. Moreover, I have seen the great winged creatures, the hawks, vultures, and eagles face the storm winds and not simply endure but rise higher. A storm that is strong enough can often take down trees, but no wind can bring down the eagle that spreads his wings on its currents.
Endurance combined with an understanding faith enables us to not just survive life’s trials but to rise higher through them. As a kite needs a tail to conquer the winds, our perseverance needs to tie on faith in the face of challenges. That is what the Spirit of God adds to us here in this passage. The Apostle – unlike many who quote his words – knew the context of the statement, “I believed, therefore I spoke”. In the midst of great trouble and affliction, the Psalmist says, even then I believed.
I find that difficulty and stress leave me feeling drained, sometimes bitter, and often angry. This is especially true when the problems come piled one upon another upon another in a series that may repeat but never ends. Sure, I get through it. I endure because that’s what I do. But it is like punishment. I wonder what I’ve done wrong. I have no faith in the midst of my affliction. I know that because I have no joy. I am not rising. I’m not moving forward. I’m just locked down, holding my ground, hanging on and waiting for the tempest to pass but wondering if it ever will.
Is that enough? God says it is not. He says I can learn, if not to welcome, to still rejoice in the trial of my faith, to laugh when I used to growl. As much as I may doubt it at times, my Father wants my days to be filled with joy – not necessarily happiness. That’s only in the pursuit. Joy is the constant. I can live an abundant life – not the same as a life of abundance -- but not if I am just hanging on to a hair by a broken fingernail with my sanity in shreds, cursing my circumstances and misfortunes.
How do we get the tail on our kite? It begins by facing our afflictions and speaking the truth, in prayer, in song, out loud or in a whisper. Even though I am afflicted, I will say, “I still believe.” And the Lord lets out a little more string.
