Blessed Conclusions - Psalm 31:14

But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” - Psalm 31:14

    I have been asked by some, “But what are we to do when things just don’t work out to our benefit?” I asked them to elaborate just a bit. They responded, “You know, when after all our prayers our loved one still dies.” I agree that during these times our faith is truly tested.  During these times our faith can suffer bruising and unexpected damage. We can become shocked by the outcomes we prayed would be different. “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me,
And what I dreaded has happened to me.” - Job 3:25. Though not to lend doubt to God’s beneficence, it is easy to understand the bewilderment that accompanies such conclusions.
    I’m not talking about the events that transpire in a lukewarm Christian’s life.  I am talking about the tribulations that true believers will face in their lifetimes. I am talking about those events where blessed conclusions were prayed for diligently and with great fervor by Christians of the strongest faith and yet, the end results were not what we so diligently prayed for. It is during times like these that many sound Christians question the purpose for praying at all. “What was the point?’ They ask. “I prayed for the very best and look at what I received.” Such tribulation will send even the strongest Christian into the valley of doubt. “And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?’” - Luke 24:38.
    We call on Christ and weep out in our pain and discomfort - “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?” - Psalm 22:1. And I know that for most us, even the most devout Christian, we can become truly distressed and question the very foundations of our faith when the very worst thing we can imagine happening takes place in seeming spite of our prayers. It is at these times that even our very assurance of salvation leaves us in a bitter hurry along with our faith - “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” - John 6:66.  What those who turn from faith in Christ have either failed to learn or never held in their hearts is this: God has a plan and whether we trust Him or not, His plan will come to pass exactly as determined. His will cannot be limited by our desires or our prayers. This is certainly a hard thing to accept, especially in light of some of our deepest longings. But make no mistake: God will not be denied.
    What so many of us have erroneously come to believe is that our faith in God promises us a life free from tribulation and loss. We come to the false conclusions that God will empower us, enrich us, give us boundless prosperity and a life full of milk and honey. But Christ, being the only begotten Son of God, was not spared the pain of death by crucifixion, and we take offense at picking up our own crosses to follow Him into eternal glory? “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” - Luke 14:27.
    The late and great R& B artist, Ray Charles, penned a song called “Drown In My Own Tears.” And in even such a secular setting, the sense of loss permeates everyone’s life at some point, even that of the Christian. Charles sings, “I know it's true into each life some rain, rain must pour.” The sentiment is not lost on nor does it fail to reach into the life of a prayerful Christian as well as that of unbelievers. So with the knowledge that none of us will escape pain and loss in our lives, it becomes more a question of how we will deal with such pain and loss.
    The answer to this perennial question lies at the heart of our faith in God. Christians must understand and accept one of the Bible’s hardest sayings - “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28.  No matter what pain or loss befalls the believer, it is because God has determined to bring good out of it. We may not know how or why but that again is where faith plays a vital roll in such losses. And our job, our requirement? “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7. The faithful must remember: God is not finished with us in this lifetime. No matter what befalls us, as believers, we can only try to imagine what great and wonderful things God has in store for us. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9. We must simply trust in God to bring our lives and the lives of those whom we love to a blessed conclusion.
    As for the bitterness and rancor of the unbeliever? In truth, they didn’t have faith in God in the first place so any remonstrance coming from them is merely a display of their anger and hopelessness. Let us pray they see and take the patience of God as a profound blessing and come to Jesus Christ before it truly is too late for them to reach the blessed conclusion of their lives.