Faith means believing in advance
what will only make sense in reverse.
I turn 61 tomorrow. Recently, I watched a show that followed the trail of The Pilgrim’s Way, a 230 km historic pilgrimage route to Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England. Built in 560, the cathedral was later rebuilt and enlarged to accommodate the flow of pilgrims visiting the shrine of the martyred archbishop, St Thomas Becket. Walking this ancient pathway, which supposedly takes about two weeks, would be on my bucket list if I were younger. But more and more, I’m realizing that there are some things that I won’t be able to accomplish during my lifetime. Walking 230 kms is probably one of them.
It doesn’t matter how blessed we feel in this life. It doesn’t matter if we have the perfect spouse or the million-dollar family or the dream home. It doesn’t even matter if we make a living doing what we love. Life still has its disappointments because unfulfilled longings are as much a part of the human experience as breathing.
Maybe it’s chronic illness. Broken relationships. Missed opportunities. Dashed hopes. Unmet expectations. Wasted years. Too many regrets. Not enough risk.
The Bible is full of men and women who experienced deep disappointments. Leah was granted marriage and children but always stood in the shadow of her much-loved sister. Moses lead the Israelites from bondage to freedom yet was denied entrance into Canaan. Naomi was left without a husband or sons, feeling vulnerable and alone in a foreign land. The disciples wondered how Jesus could redeem Israel when he spoke of his impending death.
Leah did not know that Christ Himself would come from the line of Judah, her son. Moses’ hope was fixed in a better Promised Land that he would not see while on this earth. Naomi’s kinsmen-redeemer pointed to the lineage of the one, true Redeemer. The sacrifice of Jesus did not bring political rescue but salvation for our souls.
Disappointment has a nature of its own. It seems to chip away at our hearts, piece by piece, often over years. It can go unseen or unnoticed until, one day, we realize life isn’t at all what we imagined or hoped. The good news is this: just as Leah, Moses, Naomi and the disciples could not understand, God also works amid our wondering and beyond our understanding.
In his book, Disappointment with God, Philip Yancey writes: “Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”
We live for the moment. God exists outside of time. We lament over what will not be. God’s writes His story throughout the history of the world. Scripture tells us that He who promised is faithful (Heb. 10:23). Our Heavenly Father can’t fail the children He loves. It’s outside of His character to let us down. No matter the circumstance, the Lord never disappoints.
When life seems to be “less than,” hold on to the truth that Jesus is more than we could ever need. He gives strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. He walks beside us as we journey along in this weary land. We can have the assurance that one day, the Lord will bring us to our final destination. In that moment, our disappointments will fade away in the light of HIs glory.
So dear pilgrim, keep trusting. Keep hoping. Keep walking.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
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