“Here again we stand on the razor blade of deep, believing faith and loose expectations. Recently I received an email from a man going through a divorce with his wife. He entered the courtroom with deep and prayerful faith that God would have the judge rule in his favor. He left the courtroom dejected and angry at God, who in his words ‘had not covered or protected him through it.’ While I empathize with my friend and want to be there standing in the gap with him, he entered the courtroom believing that God would do a certain thing in a certain way because he had prayed. When that did not happen, God was on the hook for his disappointment. Sometimes God answers our prayers with a cross rather than the response we so desire. This is a hard truth, but truth nonetheless. This is a reality that is rarely preached from pulpits of prosperity, because it’s hard to market the cross unless you’re selling gold-and diamond-encrusted ones to hang around people’s necks. Faith is believing in the “He can” of God, not the “He will” of God. If you don’t lodge this firmly in your personal theology, you may be putting your walk of faith in great jeopardy. The Devil preys on those who feel God has let them down when they believed with all their hearts. Perceived unanswered prayer has caused many to shipwreck their faith on the rocks of disappointment.”

— Praying for Your Elephant: Boldly Approaching Jesus with Radical and Audacious Prayer by Adam Stadtmiller

I shared this quote this morning because many of us have stumbled on the ROCK of faith.  It is even happening now during the COVID 19 pandemic.  So, today my sermon is entitled, FAITH IN THE FIRE.  Hope you’ll find a dose of encouragement.