The Sound of Faith in Hardship

When trials hit our lives, how much noise do we make? Perhaps that noise is an indication of how fulfilled we are in God. In times of need, if we have God, we have what we need to be content. God dwells in us, and when trials and hardships hit our lives, we do not need to run about looking for heaven because heaven has already come to us. To illustrate this profound point, Jeremiah Burrows gives us a fascinating illustration in his book The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.

The example Burrows gave was of a jar filled with liquid. A jar full of liquid does not make much of a sound when struck, but an empty vessel will make a loud clang. It is the same for a heart full of grace. A soul filled with God will bear many strokes and yet will not make much noise. On the contrary, some people are always murmuring and complaining. That is often a sign that their hearts are empty.

What does this mean for the life of the believer? We must strive to be filled with the Holy Spirit. A heart filled with heaven can find contentment in any situation. On top of that, Burroughs says, “There is a heaven within the souls of the Saints- that is a certain truth; no soul shall ever come to heaven, but the soul which has heaven come to it first. When you die, you hope you will go to heaven; but if you will go to heaven when you die, heaven will come to you before you die.”

The world does not understand this. Their peace and contentment can only be found in external things, but not for Christians. Even our trials can bring heaven to our hearts through the work of the Holy Spirit. When we are struck like a filled vessel, let patience have its perfect work that we may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing (James 4:1). The sound of faith in hardship expresses itself in muted tones.

We should pay attention to how much we complain. Our propensity to murmur may indicate a lack of our spiritual filling. Thus, let us earnestly seek the presence of God to fill our hearts, for therein lies the secret to true contentment. As we strive to be vessels brimming with the Holy Spirit, may our lives resonate with the quiet assurance of faith, steadfast amid life’s storms, and anchored in the abiding presence of our Heavenly Father.

-D. Eaton