Faithfully yours - Four eternal truths

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Published on Saturday, October 29, 2016

By Neil Strohschein

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Whenever I face challenges in life, I draw comfort and encouragement from the words spoken by one who, in his short time on earth, went through more trials that I ever will.

No, I’m not talking about St. Paul or one of the other apostles. I am talking about Jesus Christ himself—God the Son—God revealed in human form. He did not go through his earthly life problem free. He was tested in every way, just as we are. And when asked how he was able to cope with challenges so easily, Jesus shared four eternal truths that helped him and that he knew would help all who put their faith in him. They are recorded for us in St. Matthew’s record of the Sermon on the Mount, specifically Matthew 6:25-34.

Truth number one: God knows. He is fully aware of every challenge we have faced, every challenge we are facing and every challenge we will yet face before we die. The challenges may take us by surprise, but they are no surprise to Him. He’s known about them since we were born.

Truth number two: God understands. He is fully aware of the mental anguish, fears, worries and other emotions that fill our minds in challenging times. His Spirit lives within us. The feelings we keep bottled up inside of us are all known to him. He understands how they came to be, why we choose to suppress them and how intense they are. There are no secrets with God.

He also knows the history behind the challenges we face. He knows how many of them are our fault, how many are someone else’s fault and how many are problems that come to all people and are no one’s fault. And since He knows how they originated, He also knows what we must do to overcome those problems and put them behind us.

Truth number three: God cares. When a sparrow dies, he takes note of it. When you comb your hair in the morning and lose a few strands, he changes his records in heaven. He creates unique beauty in the grass, the wild flowers and all other parts of his creation, even though they may only be around for a few days—or in some cases, a few hours.

God shows the same degree of care for you and me, especially when we are going through difficult times in life. His heart aches and sometimes breaks when one of his children is in pain; just as your heart or mine would break if one of our children or grandchildren was in trouble.

Truth number four: God will provide. He may not always provide us with a miracle cure for every disease. We may not suddenly experience a financial windfall. Relationships that took years to become dysfunctional won’t be restored to full health overnight; some will never be restored. But we can be sure of this—God will give us the strength we need to cope with the challenges we face, the courage to accept responsibility for our part in creating them, the ability to heal, the inner resolve to move on with life and the wisdom to live each day with dignity, integrity and optimism.

That’s what Jesus experienced during his time on earth. And since he, by his Spirit, lives in us, we can live each day by faith, just as he did. Life won’t always be kind. But these eternal truths will never change—God knows, God understands, God cares and God will provide. Take heart, believe and you will receive.