A Stony Pass

“And if your way should falter
 Along this stony pass…
 It’s just a moment
 This time will pass”

(U2 – Stuck In A Moment)

It’s easy to praise God in the good times, when the path at your feet is soft and green. But what about when you come to a stony pass? What about when things are tough, when there is pain, when there is sorrow, when things aren’t as they should be?

In the bible, a guy named Job faces as stony a path as you could imagine – he loses everything he has. What is his reaction? Does he curse God and die? No, he recognises that the same good God who gives also takes away, and so Job chooses to praise the name of God and speak of his goodness (Job 1:20-22).

But is this just a biblical ideal? A neat little ‘Sunday School’ answer? A nice thought, but hollow and lame when we come to real stony passes in our own lives?

I don’t think so. This week has been a particularly tough one for us, but we have found great comfort in God’s word and his care. We don’t understand why he does things the way he does, yet we trust that he is with us in the storm, and that he really does act for our best interests (even when it means we will be in real pain as a result of his plans).

Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him”

We have seen that this is more than a Christian cliche, more than a neat little ‘Sunday School’ answer – it is the truth!

“I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm”

(Casting Crowns – Praise You In This Storm)

Love, Brooke & Dave

P.S. The first photo is of a ‘stony pass’ we walked down at the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland, the second one is a flower Deb gave us.