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I want to examine fair-weather faith. I see an awful lot all around me and I see far too much in my own life at times. Fair-weather faith is the kind that is strong when things are going well, but when bad times hit, it falls apart.
Let me share some verses with you, which illustrate the kind of faith we should have. First, a few verses from the Psalms:
The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy (Psalm 126:3).
What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me (Psalm 116:12)?
Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him (Psalm 28:6-7).
And in contrast:
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior (Habakkuk 3:17-18).
Here we see two types of praise: one when things are good and wonderful, and one when nothing good is happening. You know, it’s easy to have fair-weather faith, to praise God when everything’s going our way, when we’re feeling good about our circumstances, when we’ve had a wonderful answer to prayer. But what about those off-days, those down times, those dry spells?
A mature Christian is one who praises even when nothing good is happening and there’s no silver lining, no light at the end of the tunnel. Habakkuk said even though things are just awful, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. It’s that set of our will that makes the difference. We make a choice to praise God and rejoice in him, regardless.
Where are you today? Good times in your life? Nice circumstances? If so, praise God and promise him that when the hard times hit, you’ll praise him then, too.
Maybe it’s not so good for you right now. Tough days, heartaches, failures, disappointments? Praise him anyway. Say “Lord, everything’s going wrong right now. But I will rejoice in you anyway.” When God sees that kind of faith and that set of your will, he is pleased for he knows that your commitment and love for him are steadfast. Your faith is not the fair-weather type. May that be true of each of us.