A Thought For The Week Of September 7, 2015

"The godly have a refuge when they die, but the wicked are crushed by their sins." (Proverbs 14:32) To me, what we see here is the great promise of living with faith, and the great heartbreak of living without faith (although, personally, I'd avoid the word "wicked.") This verse just makes sense to me. When hardship comes where does the person without faith turn? There are certainly options. To family members and friends - and I don't discount the importance of family and friends. To counsellors - and counsellors can have a big and positive impact on people's lives. To inner resources (by coming to a commitment that "I'm going to get through this) - and I wouldn't want to downplay the importance of personal commitment, perseverance and determination. And there are also negative things that the person without faith can turn to - drugs, alcohol, etc., etc. Those are all options. Not wise ones, perhaps, but options nevertheless. And whether a person without faith chooses the positive or the negative options, they may offer some relief from today and maybe from a few tomorrows. But ultimately, all will in some way disappoint or enslave us. But to be a person of faith is to have access to a different kind of resource - to God. For various reasons, the person of faith may still turn to those other things (both the positive and, tragically, the negative) but deep down there must still be a sense of connectedness to God, and an understanding that only God can see beyond all our tomorrows and into eternity. Those who live with faith can deal not only with the day to day misfortunes or calamities that might befall them - those with faith can look into eternity; they can approach not only the hardships of life but also the certainty of death with peace and assurance that, ultimately, all will be well - all because of faith in a God whom we believe transcends this life, and gives us refuge in death, and takes us into eternity with him.