Daily news gives horrific stories of suffering and hardship. Many of us have been challenged in our faith to explain to those around us how God could allow such appalling suffering. Questions like this have undermined the faith of some as they have struggled both with understanding some the difficult passages in the Bible and how to apply the Bible in the modern world.
And on the other hand, aggressive atheists challenge the basis of all faith in God, and the steady mockery of Christian faith in the media and our culture has a sapping effect.
On a bad day, we keep our heads down, and hope the storm may blow over, rather than blow us over.
But this has often (or always) been the case. The psalms bear witness to the struggles that believers had 3000 years ago! Reading and reflecting on these verses keeps me sane! 'O Lord, I give my life to you.
I trust in you, my God!
Do not let me be disgraced,
or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.
No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others' (Psalm 25.1-3)
The fear of being disgraced, with enemies rejoicing over our defeat, powerfully affects us. But God can be trusted to hold us in troubling times.
Starting next month, promoted by Premier Radio, there is a series of events arranged under the banner of Be a Thinking Christian. http://www.bethinking.org/the-reasonable-faith-tour-2011/
This will provide encouragement for all who may struggle in the battle for the hearts and minds of all of us.
Best wishes,
Richard
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