you must be *new* here

You must be new here.

By new, I mean if you’re new to this thing called faith, I’d like to share with you a simple primer on one of Christianity’s most avoided lessons and yet the most widely experienced.  

We don’t like to talk about hardship and pain and suffering. Sermons on trials and afflictions are not as common as you’d like to think, and yet the most necessary if you live in the covenant of salvation for any length of time.   So let me introduce you (or re-introduce you, as might be the case) to some things God has to say about our daily struggles, big and small.  

There are hundreds of “Fear nots” in the Bible, and almost certainly the greater majority of them are in connection with something that the hearer (or reader) is going through that disturbs or exasperates them.

One of the great lessons of the Christian life is that every Christian must suffer through hardship and trial, some great, others minor, but all of them are designed to deepen our trust in Christ and make our witness more genuine and effective. And, a fact that cannot be overstated enough: to prepare us for eternity.

The apostle Paul said “It is through many trials and tribulations we come into the kingdom of God” (see Acts 14:22). The apostle Peter instructed us not to be “surprised” if we find ourselves in a fiery ordeal (see 1Peter 4:12). In the same chapter, Peter offers this surprising counsel: our suffering is useful in disciplining us to sin less (1Peter 4:1)!  

Nehemiah was commissioned by God to help his people navigate through the aftermath of pain and loss and great hardship. The city that once stood proudly as their capital and the center of the universe, now lay in ruins, a virtual ghost town.  

To add insult to injury, while the people wanted a fresh start, to forget the pain of the past and look forward in hope, there were enemies working against them. These enemies hated them and did everything in their power to intimidate them from reclaiming what was rightfully theirs.  

This is where Nehemiah comes in. In one poignant moment he rallies the people with the words, “Fear not!” and then says something beautifully profound: “Remember the Lord!” (see Neh 4:14)  

Packed into that admonition to “Fear not!“ is the truth that we are not to let our circumstances drag us down to the level of defeat. Worry gets us nowhere. Despair takes us to dark places. Discouragement sabotages our peace.   Instead we are to embrace the hope that we are more than conquerors in spite of the headlines (see Rom 8:35-37) and more loved than we could possibly imagine (Rom 8:38-39)!  

On top of this, we are to “Remember the Lord!” in the middle of our storm. Just like Peter could only walk on top of the violent, swirling waters so long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, so we are to fix our gaze on the One who fights for us.  

In fact, Nehemiah will mention this a few verses later (v20). What are they to remember? They are to remember that God is on their side and working out his Redemptive Story for their good and his glory (see Neh 4:20; Rom 8:28). So writes the great apostle,

  If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)

Our tendency when going through rough times is to think that God has abandoned us, but, oh dear Christian, that is never the case! Words greater than Nehemiah’s or Paul’s or Peter’s were spoken by the Lord himself to all of us who struggle in the fight.   He reminded us that he will

  never leave us, nor forsake us. (Heb 13:5; Matt 28:20)

Fear not, suffering saint, and remember the Lord has your name on his heart and his grace will lead you through your troublesome ordeals. He promises to bring you into a fruitful, abundant place if you only turn to him and trust his ways (see Psalm 66:12).

Charles Spurgeon, famed Baptist pastor in 19th century London, offered this encouragement which remains highly relevant to the followers of Jesus today:

  [The happy Christian] believes [God] to be too wise to err and too good to be unkind; he trusts Him where he cannot trace Him, looks up to him in the darkest hour, and believes that all is well.