Beware of Trading "Up"

Recently, I came across a challenging quote as I prepared for a sermon that I wanted to share.

Thomas Long writes, "In fact, according to the Preacher, attempting to "ad-lib the ending" to life's drama, to make up a story that seems in the moment of crisis to be better than God's script, is precisely the problem; it is what we do when we think that God is dead or absent or when we lose confidence in the trustworthiness of the promises of God. It is what we do in those inevitable seasons when the gospel seems too little to go on. As long as things go well, of course, remaining faithful is little challenge, but when trouble starts, when the storms of sorrow begin to rage, when the weeds of failure grow in the garden, when the valley of the shadow of death closes in, when the mouth goes dry in the spiritual desert, when all hell breaks loose, then we are tempted to ad-lib the ending, to trade God's story for one that is happier, easier, more upbeat, safer, less demanding, or at least one we can touch and see and hold in our hands. Exchanging God's story for another is an old and chronic problem."

The temptation to trade stories is evident in all of our stories whether it is journeying to Africa, living in inner city Vancouver, moving to an isolated community, or just living here in the quiet village of Caronport. There often appears to be a better way at least a more comfortable one. It is so easy to make an idol out of that life I want instead of praising our God who has given us breath and placed us specifically for His glory.

We must all remember God is faithful to do as He has promised. We must remember that we have a great high priest who has gone before us and in whom we can follow in confidence. His story is the best but definitely not the easiest.

As one preacher said, "Golgotha was no suburbia."