Hope with Belief can be hard.
There will be times where we may lose sight of the love of God. Suffering hurts.
“I am sure that anyone who has gone through any degree of suffering knows that in the moment of pain and hurt it is easy to feel that God does not love you. It is easy to feel rejected, unloved. We are so used to thinking that love is something that blesses us and warms us and takes care of us that it is almost impossible for us to think we are being loved when we are hurting. It is hard for us to believe that the one who allows the hurt to come is doing so out of genuine sheer love for us. We feel broken, we feel worthless, we feel forgotten.”[1]
In times like this, Hope with Belief is difficult. Watching a loved one suffer is often more painful than our own suffering. It is particularly challenging when it seems to us to be unjust, undeserved, and seemingly pointless.
What seems to the sufferer to be “theoretical theology” does not seem to bring any comfort or understanding.
Grief, sadness and sorrow are legitimate responses. Paul, the writer of Romans five talked about the near-death experience of his great friend Epaphroditus:
“… He was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” (Philippians 2:27).[2]
Paul, the one who encourages us to, “rejoice in our suffering” does not see experiencing sorrow as precluded from our experience.
The thought of Epaphroditus dying caused Paul immense anguish. He knew that death was not the end, he knew the truth of eternal life in Christ, but he also recognized that in the loss of his great friend, in possibly painful circumstances, there would be genuine sorrow.
Grief is hard because something has been lost, and certain joys are now irretrievably gone. But we also know that grief is a reality to which Scripture plainly speaks—a reality that will one day be redeemed by a far greater joy. We know that grief is a reality with which our Saviour is personally acquainted.
In times like this we should pray for one another that God will come close to us in the confusion of suffering and sadness.
“When friends suffer, or I suffer, or I am overwhelmed by the pain in the world, I remember the prayer of Jesus, “If it is possible, let this cup be taken from me.” But if it is not, Lord, stay close, stay very close, for if I know you are with me, I can walk through even the darkest valley (or as the Psalmist puts it, the valley of the shadow of death), and not be afraid – for you are with me.”[3]
Sometimes we need others to hold on to “Hope with Belief” for us until our own hope returns.
Blessings
Brian
[1] Ray Stedman, “Rejoicing in Suffering”, accessed 14 February 2022. https://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/romans/rejoicing-in-suffering
[2] ESV
[3] Brian Harris “From Theodicy to Theophany”, blogpost on Feb 13, 2022, accessed 14 February 2022