Trials by Fire

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

– Matthew 6:34

It’s been about 2,000 years since Jesus’ first disciples heard this great declaration of truth and wisdom. And isn’t it just as relevant to modern-day Christ-followers? Surf the web and turn on the TV, and just try to avoid the stormy headlines about political scandals, natural disasters, and military conflicts.

Whether they’re literal or figurative, we’re always facing a storm of one kind or another. And there’s no escape — even after we’ve switched off the smartphone and changed the TV channel. For some people it might mean a job loss or financial setback. For others it’s a chronic illness or the prospect of major surgery. Or maybe your trouble involves family or relationship issues like a divorce or the loss of a loved one. In our fallen world, these trials by fire are a facet of the human experience.

Christ-followers, however, have the hope of better days ahead. That’s because we worship a God who’s much greater than our circumstances, no matter how discouraging they may be. Ours is a Creator who literally spoke the universe into existence, formed great mountain ranges with his hands, and parted the seas with a breath.

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” asks the writer of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

So, let’s take God at his word. His hopeful message is that he works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purposes. But let’s also keep in mind that we’re not exempt from personal storms once we turn over our lives to Jesus. What does change, however, is that eternal assurance that helps us endure any difficulty or trial — trivial or immense. 

“Why are you afraid?” Christ asked his followers. “Do you still have no faith?"

In one form or another, the storms of life surround everyone. The lightning flashes and the thunder rumbles. But for Christ-followers, it's blue skies on the horizon as our trials by fire refine our faith.

The Speed of Light

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

– John 8:12

Nicknamed The Greatest, three-time heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali was known for his lightning-fast punches. “I'm so fast,” he once bragged, “that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.” 

Ali’s quickness was legendary, but he was obviously exaggerating. The actual speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, which many physicists believe is an unsurpassable barrier. And what does that kind of speed look like? A few years ago, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) answered the question by filming a laser beam at 10 trillion frames per second passing through a bottle of milk. And as depicted in a 2019 YouTube video produced by The Slow Mo Guys, the resulting footage showed photons streaking through the milk in a blue blur as the laser traveled across the screen. Milk molecules helped scatter the photons in the laser beam, much like how clouds of cosmic dust diffuse the light from otherwise-invisible stars.

So far racking up more than 39 million views, this remarkable footage sheds new light on long-held notions about the universe. Likewise, the teachings of Jesus illuminate the distorted — but long-accepted — ways of the world against the perfection of God’s Kingdom. For example, society teaches us to beat the competition, climb the corporate ladder, and keep up with our neighbors (and then leave them in our dust). We always need the biggest, the fastest, and the shiniest. And most of all, it’s not bragging if we can back it all up.

But Christ teaches something quite different: 

His followers are the light of the world. And to be first, we must be last. 

That’s a revolutionary perspective that’s unacceptable to most people these days. And that’s just the point. After all, how much better would the world be if we were to convey this idea by adopting a servant’s attitude and putting the interests of others before our own? The Bible reports that in the early days of the church, it was a contagious message that spread like wildfire. Thousands of people were baptized and began following this remarkable movement known 2,000 years ago as The Way.

What about for you and me today? 

It all starts by accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. Moreover, we must embrace the fact that we’re nothing without him — and we can do even less by ourselves. But when we fully surrender our lives to Christ, it’s through this brilliant point of light that we can find our true purpose and play our role in advancing God’s Kingdom, one person at a time.

In God We Trust

Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

– 2 Corinthians 5:5

If you’ve inspected your pocket change recently, you may have noticed a different look for some of your quarters. Beginning in 2022 and continuing through 2025, the U.S. Mint will each year issue up to five new reverse-side designs for the 25-cent piece — all to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of women toward America’s development and history. Also, the obverse (heads side) of each coin maintains the likeness of George Washington, but now it faces to the right.

The familiar In God We Trust inscription is something that has not changed on the revamped quarter. And for more than 150 years, American coins — and later paper currency — have displayed the credo. According to the US Treasury, a Pennsylvania minister in 1861 recommended to Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase that American coins should “recognize Almighty God in some form.” Chase agreed and instructed the director of the Philadelphia Mint to prepare an appropriate motto. 

“No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense,” he wrote. “The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.”

In 1864, In God We Trust made its first appearance on the two-cent coin. How ironic is it that “Godless” money should cite such an important reminder about the real source of our security? But if we’re honest with ourselves, perhaps the motto should read, In GOLD We Trust. After all, when life gets tough, it’s only natural to rely on our money, riches, and possessions rather than the One who makes it possible to earn a living in the first place. Experience shows that reliance on job security and the stock market is foolhardy at best — particularly in these days of high inflation and economic uncertainty. 

It’s an inconvenient truth: Our bank accounts are no defense against life’s hard realities. Terminal illnesses strike, relationships fail, and that which seemed solid turns to dust in our hands. What we desperately need is something — or Someone — who embodies rock-solid certainty and trust.

Jesus paints a vivid picture of this universal quest through his story about a foolish man who built a house on shifting sands. When the storm struck, the rains came and the winds blew with fury. It’s no surprise that the flimsy structure collapsed with a crash. But in comparison the wise man built his house on a foundation of solid rock. So, when the storm clouds of life boiled on the horizon, that house withstood even the heaviest downpour.

This leads us to the obvious question: Are you counting on your uncertain finances to save you when the realities of life happen? If so, why not trust in God: The One who not only made you, but knew everything about you before you were born. 

“Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust,” we read in Psalms, “who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.”

In God We Trust is much more than a motto found on money. It’s solid truth that we can take to the bank!

Extra Innings

Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

– 1 Samuel 18:5

With the 2022 Major League Baseball season well underway, it’s a great time to remember one of the all-time greats of America’s Pastime: Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.

Nicknamed Iron Man, Ripkin was an outstanding shortstop who combined power with average. His 20-year career with the Baltimore Orioles reflects American League Rookie of the Year honors, two Gold Glove Awards, 12 seasons with at least 20 home runs, and 3,184 hits. He was also selected for the All-Star Game 19 times. But he’s likely best remembered as breaking New York Yankee legend Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games played by logging a remarkable streak of 2,632 of his own.

Ripkin no doubt played an inning or two of his remarkable career while hurt, sick or even exhausted. But he always carried on for the good of his team. And his persistence, dedication, and love of the game even helped the Orioles win the 1983 World Series. Ripkin succeeded in baseball for two decades because he had the strength and willpower to go the extra inning. Likewise, it’s in much the same way that God’s grace (undeserved kindness) sustains every Christ-follower throughout their extended journeys of faith. 

A misconception among some Believers is that God only presents his grace to them the moment they give their lives to Jesus. After that, they reason, he steps back into the cosmos to watch in silence. But the Bible tells us that our Creator remains by our side. And it’s a good thing. Because from time to time, we all need spiritual renewal as we grow in what it means to follow in Jesus’ steps. Even the apostles — the ones who personally witnessed Christ’s life-changing miracles — had to ask the Lord to increase their faith.

The apostles were both physically and spiritually drained after abandoning their livelihoods and then following Jesus for three years. And when their Master was arrested, tried and crucified, they scattered in fear for their lives — just as he had predicted. But they soon experienced revival the night Christ reappeared to them. Here’s how John’s gospel describes the remarkable scene:

In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples had met together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood right in the middle of them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he showed them his hands and his side, and when they saw the Lord, the disciples were overjoyed. Jesus said to them again, “Yes, peace be with you! Just as the Father sent me, so I am now going to send you.”

These early Believers could now continue their world-changing mission, empowered by their renewed confidence in Christ alone. It was through him that they had the faith and power to both accomplish their tasks and endure until the end. 

Like a beleaguered baseball team that relies on their tenacity to finally clinch the league championship, Christ-followers depend on a special Power, which enables them to persist through those difficult extra innings of life. And it’s this same Power that guarantees believers like you and me that we’ll one day be safe at home.