How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?.. But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. —Psalm 13:1, 5-6

When my husband and I visited the Everest Base Camp the closest viewpoint of Mt.Everest, I expected to see some spectacular sights. Yet for 2 days the mountain remained shrouded in clouds. So instead of taking pictures, I bought postcards.

Our vacation caused me to question the way I portray my faith to people around me. Do I present a ‘postcard’ view of Christianity? Do I give the false impression that my life is always sunny-that my view of God is always clear?

That’s not what David did. In the passion filled poetry of Psalm 13, he admitted that he couldn’t see God and didn’t understand what He was doing (v.1). Yet by the end of his prayer he was certain that what he couldn’t see was nevertheless there because he had seen it before in God’s bountiful care (vv.5-6). Christians are like people living at the foot of Mt. Everest. They’ve seen the mountain before so they know it exists, even when clouds are covering it.

When suffering or confusion obscures our view of God, we can be honest with others about our doubts. Yet we can also express our confidence that the Lord is still there by recalling times we’ve witnessed His grandeur and goodness. That’s better than postcard Christianity.

By: Julie Ackerman Link