Assurance in the Midst

“The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.”—Deuteronomy 33:27

On most days, the testing of our faith seems to show up in the form of little pop quizzes concerning an issue-of-the-moment—a conversation choice, a motive, a temptation to do/think/say [whatever]. But then there are those unannounced exams that broadside you, and “Hey, You didn’t tell me this was coming!,” when it seems the Teacher has left the room to let you figure it out on your own. They’re unwanted, un-fun, and what Spurgeon has called “depths of affliction where waves of trouble follow each other in quick succession.” 

But it is uniquely here where you begin to understand what blessed assurance looks like, even if you can't define it: 

The reality of the storm may rage on the surface, but something wonderful happens each time we choose to say with the demon-possessed boy's dad, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief.” Deep down, far below those waves of trouble, comes a quiet assurance so still, so strong, it almost smiles. You can’t put your finger on it, put it in writing, or explain why or how, but you know that you know that, even if little makes sense at the moment, God’s still got you firmly and lovingly in the grip of His everlasting arms. Just like He promised.

Good to know, since unlike those daily muscle-toning pop quizzes, God seems to lovingly use the "unwanted, un-fun" exams of our lives to push our roots deeper through rock and rubble into the good soil that strengthens faithfulness, and hope, and love, and perseverance—in the end, the only things that will really matter anyway.