Ray Family Update from May 2021

For a time, having confidence in man feels good. Eventually, humanity shows itself and disappointment sets in. It is at that moment that one feels the greatest of pains. God describes it as being equivalent to “a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint” (Proverbs 25:19). If you have never felt this pain, be thankful. Either you are far better at trusting the Lord than I am or you have not yet lived long enough to be broken in such a way. Be assured, if you place your confidence in man, your day of heartache is coming. The good news for believers is that we have “a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24) who said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

I dare not burden you with the details (you probably have too many of your burdens anyway), but our family entered a fiery furnace sometime late 2020 and continues therein to this present moment. The specific troubles and the resulting pressures have varied from week to week, but our understanding of where we are has not. We do not feel special as though God loves or hates us any more than He does others, nor do we feel as though the testing is because of something superior within us. In fact, it may be quite the opposite. Maybe we are in the midst of Satan’s sifting in order to expose our inadequacies and imperfections. If the Lord is pleased to do so, it is our prayer to exit the furnace with greater faith than when we entered. If we exit in good standing with the Lord, it will be because of His grace and because we have been helped along by a handful of faithful saints who have made us a priority in their prayer lives.