Faith in the Midst of Suffering

[SUFFERiNG]: The state or instance of enduring pain, misery, loss, etc.

O! Why constantly cower in fear?
We wrestle belligerent agony; sheer
confusion haunts our broken dreams,
the silent voice of evil screams.
Ponder the mind; one moment to dwell
on what we knew before we fell.

Original model; initial design
did not comprehend a death paradigm.
Created to love and be loved in return,
Marriage has never been something you earn.
How rarely ideas hold near the same merit
of hasty dismissal; some sin we inherit.
Inspired by purity; by humble desire
the Almighty God formed man from the mire.

[FAiTH]: is taking God at His word.. saying "I trust you in the storm, in the heights, in the uncomfortable;" not being moved by circumstances
[FAiTH]: is believing in God and God alone; not having a backup plan incase He doesn't pull through
[FAiTH: is leaving fear for Love; looking into the eyes of Jesus and declaring His will be done

Mountains only move with faith.. The prayers we offer in faith move the heart of God. Distrust and unbelief have only ever been poison to relationships.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 reads "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him- a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

What stirs within me as I read this passage from Ecclesiastes breaks my heart: Eve, the crown of creation, was created solely for the purpose of lifting Adam up- being his "suitable helper." (Genesis 2:18, "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.'")
Recently, I finished Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. The married couple point out the Hebrew words ezer kenegdo, commonly translated “help meet,” are more accurately translated as “sustainer beside him." They noted that “ezer” is listed twenty other times in the Old Testament, all in context to God, describing times when you need Him to come through for you desperately. That is, more of a “life-saver.”

How vigorously must we fight against Satan as he continuously puts temptation before us? Adam and Eve were the consummation of lovers designed to lift one another up. And still, the evil one lures us in with just one taste; with that one act of disobedience to our Father- the veil separated us from intimate relationship with Him. The only way to reestablish the bond was to send Jesus to die alone on the cross. Jesus suffered more than I ever have... and God, the Father, suffered immensely by witnessing the massacre of His one and only Beloved Son.


"Suffering," Megan voiced, matter of factly, "affects everyone."
Walking back to our University of the Nations campus, my beautiful beach blonde friend advised me, (with wisdom well beyond her seventeen years), how to best touch lives for the cause of Christ. As with all our end of the night goodbyes, Megan Rae and I hugged, then stretched hands to hold shoulders, committing our time to the Lord. It had been a long Friday, a long week, a long year of extraordinary life changes..
I prayed for my sweet girlfriend; blessing her for her ability to explode with life and curiosity. When Megan prayed for me, I felt like a treasure. At one moment, I thought she had finished, but she continued delicately- asking God to release me from the mind trap of confusion, that His spirit would fall on me in a new way... that I would feel free to evangelize. Megan asked that her gift of faith would be imparted to me. Sincerely and specifically, she declared that we were in agreement and asked the Lord to send His angels to come down and war on my behalf. Beautiful, simple prayers overflowed from our hearts... more like a conversation between a Father and his daughters than a religious recital.

When we opened our eyes, it felt like things looked different- for lack of better words- an awareness of the knowledge of another dimension. Megan asked me first, "Do you feel it? Something shifted." I was skeptical, but doubt was immediately overpowered by my respect for Megan and her ability to believe, to trust; her bold faith. I said 'yes, I felt it,' then took my eyes off her and looked to the left.
I stared at this pretty green bush and sighed in admiration... 'Jesusss ' <3 My eyes were drawn back to Megan's and she said, "...something shifted!" Her eyes widened and she stated, in all seriousness, "Wooah! Something just left!" As the words were leaving her mouth, a chill had festered between my shoulder blades, shot down my spine like a lightening bolt and fled to the right (north). For a blink of a moment everything felt "empty", then a blanket of "Safe" fell and expanded. Bursting into tears, we both began to praise God. Before I knew it, I was weeping, uncontrollably, and knelt next to a rock wall. It was as if a weight was gone. Similar experiences, where I can recall the same distinct feeling? -when I've heard the voice of the Lord; it feels like I'm floating among the stars. My eyes were opened. The veil was lifted. Our faith and prayers moved the heart of the Most High King.


In the words of Art Katz - "Because to persuade the world that this life presently, is transient and preparatory, for that which is eternal and abiding, requires men who come down from that place, who are in the world but not of it. It requires men who exude eternity and not just possess it as a category. They’re timeless and they’re eternal in the reality of what they are in themselves, and therefore, they can move through the world and society and culture and it’s like “water off the duck’s back”. They’re never jerked or manipulated or self-conscious or fearful or intimidated or threatened by any such thing. Once you are in the realm of eternity and eternal value, that which is in time comes into its proper focus, whereas, the enemy wants to exaggerate its importance and, by that, make you captive."



I highly, highly recommend watching the above sermon.

We love because He first loved us,
Kelsey Maxine Tungseth

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom