Have you ever assumed something and later discovered that you were wrong? I know I have many, many times. The challenge is when I think that my assumption is correct. One of the definitions of “assumption” is “the act of taking for granted.” The challenge with an assumption is that it could be wrong and often times is wrong. The nature of the assumption does not really matter. It could be an assumption about the way someone looks or an assumption of what another driver is going to do. I could assume, as a motorcyclist, that an oncoming car signaling to turn into my lane, will see me and wait for me to pass. Yes, this is normally what happens. But what if I am wrong?
We need to work hard to fight against making unfounded assumptions. First, since we do not have the facts, our assumptions fill in the missing information. Second, we usually assume the worst. This brings us to the question in the title which represents how people often respond when facing tough times. The assumption is that God is not there when we need Him. This is just one example of many incorrect assumptions we make, especially when it comes to our Lord. It is interesting that even the godly man, Job, was susceptible to incorrect assumptions about God.
What do you think of Job’s statement, ““Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me, when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness, as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent,” (Job 29:2–4)? Now, I need you to pause to absorb what Job is saying. Most of us know the story of Job. Through trials that the Lord allowed, Satan robbed Job of all of his earthly wealth, all of his earthly prestige, all of his adult children, and then of his health. I know my thoughts would have been tracking with Job’s thoughts, even if I only faced one of these calamities.
Please know that I am not demeaning Job’s character but striving to learn from his struggles as a godly man. Like him, we tend to assume good times reveal God’s presence and bad times reveal His absence. We sometimes do this by living in a past reality, rather than in the present situation. It is easy to glamorize the “days of old” when “God watched over me.” We also can fall into the trap of assuming that not sensing or feeling God’s presence (“his lamp shone upon my head”) means God is not there during our current dark times (“I walked through darkness.”). Job even began to question his relationship with the Lord (“as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent.”). I believe we all know these thoughts are not true about God and they do nothing to help us through difficult seasons.
I am in no way dismissing the reality of difficulties in our lives. They are called trials for a reason. We are being tested. The writer of Hebrews, addressing God’s people who were facing persecution, provides the antidote for God’s people when wading through deep waters. He calls us to hold onto God’s promises, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1). He then goes on to remind us of the struggles and the faith of God’s people in the past. We often refer to this chapter as the “Hall of Faith.” He also reminds us not to give up and to keep our eyes on Jesus. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1–2).
I don’t know if you have ever noticed when driving a vehicle we have a tendency to steer towards what we are looking at. The same is true spiritually. When we focus on the challenges in our lives, it is easy to become discouraged and question God’s presence. Yet when we hold onto God’s character and His promises, we grow stronger in Him.
-Pastor Joe Parkinson