When Faith Falters

O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!

You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.

Psalm 21:1-2

My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

Psalm 22:1-2

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23:1

It would be a beautiful thing if life could be lived on the mountain top. However, we all know that life has its share of valleys to go with the hill top experiences. Such a series of ups and downs can really cause you to question your faith. What is wrong with me? Why can’t I be more consistent in my faith? Surely something must be wrong between me and the Lord or I would not feel this way.

The truth is, the faith journey is all about the ups and downs. When we are up, we can celebrate all that is going well. When we are down, we can recognize that this is in fact normal. When we are down it provides us the opportunity to do some soul searching, to talk to the Lord, to grow our faith, and to identify personal weaknesses. I have always contended that while we celebrate on the mountain tops, real growth happens in the valley.

It is important for us to understand that our experience is not unique. It is interesting that at the beginning of Psalm 21 David says, “the king rejoices.” One chapter later (Psalm 22:1), “why have you forsaken me?” Then, in Psalm 23:1, “I shall not want.” Even David, a man who is a stand out in the Old Testament for his faith in God, struggles with the ups and downs. It does not mean that he had failed to trust God. It doesn’t mean that God could not use him. It simply meant that David was experiencing the same ups and downs that we do.

Whether you find yourself on a mountain top this day, or in a valley, know that God is still on His throne. What you are experiencing is normal for the faith journey. God will use it, good or bad, to shape your faith and to help you lean on Him. Do not ignore or despise your feelings. Explore your feelings. Why are you in this place? What is God trying to teach you? Is this feeling a result of not trusting God? Is this feeling spiritual at all? Are you tired? Have you been going too hard for too long and ignored God? What can I take away from this situation and what can I learn? Feelings are a gift from God and can direct our relationship with Him when used appropriately.