Sometimes we wonder this about ourselves. We go through hard times. We experience tragedy. But we are Christians! How is it this sort of thing can happen to me? I pray, I read my Bible, I go to worship. How is it God can let this happen to me?

Whenever I watch some of the more popular preachers on TV (which admittedly isn’t often) they often tell you that once you give your life to Jesus, everything is going to turn out OK. You will have success and money to go along with your good looks. So what do we say to those people who love Jesus but still suffer? What do we say to ourselves? How can God let His followers go through bad times? Shouldn’t we get some sort of exemption?

Well, let me ask you this. What if God has something to show us in the bad times of life that we won’t see anywhere else? If God doesn’t exempt His people, does He help them? Would you want to know more?

One frigid Saturday not long ago, in less than sixty minutes I spoke by “ham radio” to 11 countries from Europe to South America. Two exchanges were especially memorable. A retired doctor on Grand Cayman Island said it was 81 degrees that morning as he watched an iguana lying in the sun on his dock. The next contact was with a man in Fairbanks, Alaska, where it was 41 degrees below zero! Last week it was almost 80 below near Fairbanks.

We enjoy unseasonable warmth whenever it arrives unexpectedly during winter but we know it won’t last because weather is so changeable. Life is, too. Some days seem bright and sunny then suddenly a storm rises over the horizon and a blizzard howls in.

What resources do we possess to strengthen us and maintain an inner sense of springtime even while it’s winter all around?

Let’s face it; we want what we want when we want it. We love the idea of pressing the select button and get what we want. Which is OK; I guess when we are selecting a soft drink.  But how many of us have that exact same approach when we pray? Jesus is our great Vending Machine God. We make our selections, press select and say amen. With an audible whoosh God is supposed to swoop down and answer all our prayers. Right? Isn’t that what today’s Scripture means? Or is it possible Jesus was saying something very different about prayer? In fact might there be a benefit to having a God who doesn’t act like a vending machine?

This Sunday, we will reflect on one of the most beautiful and powerful friendships in the Bible, the friendship between David and Jonathan.  As we explore the text, 1 Samuel 20:1-17, we will learn from David and Jonathan about what it means to have a “Holy Friendship.”

While disguising oneself is a possibility, as of yet the ability to do it to this extent escapes us. Well sort of. Let’s be honest, many of us do a pretty good job of wearing a false face and pretending to be someone else. We act a certain way around our bosses or teachers. We act a certain way around our friends. We act a certain way in church. We act a certain way to catch the eye of someone across the room. In fact we wear so many faces we might wonder what face is under all those masks.

We might wonder, but we certainly don’t want anyone else to see who we really are. But what if there was a place where we could do the big reveal, show our face and be loved anyway? What if that might be the beginning of our not only getting a new face, but becoming a new person. Would you want to know more?