God’s Hidden Face

 April 30, 2021

“In my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved...You hid your face and I was troubled.” 

—Psalm 30:6

Years ago when we first contemplated mission trips to Cuba, I told Willie, our connection to the nation, that if our going was a one-way street, I wasn’t interested. By that, I didn’t mean one-way ticket, but that if mission work is to be healthy, there must be learning, giving, and receiving on both sides. We were able to bring in resources unavailable to them—medicines, educational materials, cash. They were often unable to obtain even basic supplies we take for granted, but they had something we have been unable to obtain—faith tested in the fires of adversity.

It’s easy to be confident when everything is going our way. Americans often seem to specialize in “Good-Time Christianity.” God’s blessings are measured in prosperity, health, and the absence of difficulties. So when trouble hits, we collapse like a house of cards. We understand that building muscle requires the adversity of weights, of pushing oneself beyond comfort, but we often fail to see the same is true in the realm of the spirit. Building spiritual muscle is impossible without adversity—when God “hides his face.” When the medical test results indicate cancer, when served with divorce papers, when handed the pink slip or failing grade, when we cannot see or feel his presence, will we even then trust and follow Christ? 

There is an ebb and flow to faith reflected in this psalm; from rejoicing to desperation to dancing and thanksgiving. All are part and parcel of a living faith in Christ. Christianity is not all “happy, happy, joy, joy.” C.S. Lewis put it this way: “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” What faith in Christ can do however, is give the fortitude to handle adversity with a calm and steady soul. In these present times, that is no small grace.