"God's presence is renewing, transforming, enlivening, sanctifying, commanding, sweetening, and cheering to the soul. Nothing is like it in all the world: His presence supplies all need, heals all sickness, saves from all danger; it is life in death, heaven in hell, all in all."
-John Bunyan, mid 1600's
Lest you be confused, I do not believe that this quote is saying that being in right relationship with God fixes everything. Rather, God's presence in our lives frees us from all the things that would cause us to despair if we had to live life without Christ. God's presence gives a whole new lense through which to view the world.
You may lose your job or run out of money for groceries. You may die from cancer. You may be a victim of abuse. You certainly will face death at some point just like every other human in history (with the exception of Enoch and Elijah). And these things will be hard as humans....remember 1rst Peter...we will face "various trials."
But even as we are tossed about by the things which are most difficult in human life, as members of the body of Christ and fellow heirs (Romans 8:17) of the kingdom of God, we have an anchor of joy and hope (Hebrews 6:19 calls it an "anchor of the soul")-- an anchor that sets a limit to our suffering-- and an anchor that never allows us to drift too far from the hope that will be realized "when our faith becomes sight" (As the hymn "It is well with my soul" puts it).
One of the absurd and beautiful things about the Christian life is that it often presents suffering as the pathway to joy. I've found personal encouragement both in trial and temptation thinking about Hebrews 12:2 where it says that Christ endured the cross "for the joy set before him."
Not only is there joy on the horizon, after the suffering. There is joy in the suffering. Romans 8:28 says "we know that for those who love God all things work together for good" and James 1:2-4 says "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
From a material perspective, we may lack food, shelter, or cash, but if we have God we are among the richest people in the world. Because of Christ we can confidently face danger or disease with a smile on our face, because we know that either God will be glorified by delivering us from these trials, or that they have been ordained by God as the vehicles through which he intends to usher us into his presence.
Take a few minutes today to dwell on God's "renewing, transforming, enlivening, sanctifying, commanding, sweetening, and cheering" presence." If you have put your faith in Christ, you are never lost at sea. Even in the roughest of waters, remember: you have an "anchor of the soul."
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