If you ever go to a football game or watch one on television you will see some fans and then you will see the followers.

The fans go when things are good and the team is winning. They support and cheer as long as the team is doing well and it is the popular team to support.

On the other hand the followers go and support the team when the team is doing well and winning as well as when they hit a bad streak and lose often. When it is too cold for the fans to attend the game, the followers will be there in the same seat, cheering on their team. The followers will go out of their way to support the team, sometimes traveling great distances just to watch and cheer their favorite team on.

I began to think about Christianity today and this question came to mind. Do we as the saved children of God support our Savior when things are going good as well as when they are going bad? Do we stick close to Him and obey His commands when trials and tribulations come? Do we still praise Him when we have a loved one fighting cancer or when the money isn’t there to pay the power bill or when a child is causing chaos and turmoil in everyone’s lives? I know a lot of professing Christians that as soon as times get hard and trials come their way, their first response is to blame God and get mad. They stop praying, attending church, and reading their Bible. They are quick to say, “God doesn’t care about me. Look what He let happen.”

I’m reminded of a story in the Bible almost everyone is familiar with. It is the story of God’s servant Job. Job 1:1 tells us, “that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” As the story goes in a short period of time Job lost his property, his wealth, his servants, his children, and his health. As news came of these tragedies the Bible says in Job 1:22, “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” Job was found saying in verse 21, “the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” When urged by his wife to curse God and die Job responded in Job 2:10, “What, shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” Through all the trials and tribulations Job endured he never blamed God, got mad at Him, or quit worshipping Him.

Yes, Job was depressed. He was sorely grieved and even cursed the day of his birth but he never cursed the Lord for allowing these calamities to befall him. And as the story goes, God brought Job out of his misery. He restored his health; He gave him more children and replenished his wealth. Because of Job’s faithfulness through the storm, God blessed Job more abundantly than before.

I’m here to tell you my friend that I myself have gone through some trying times. I’ve had nights where sleep eluded me. My heart has been troubled and broken. It was in those times that I needed God more than ever. It wasn’t always easy to pray and praise the Lord but God knew my heart and He reached down and lifted me up. The trying situations didn’t go away automatically but He gave me the grace to get through those trials and tribulations. And just as God did with Job, He is blessing me now more abundantly than ever before.

It is easy to say “Oh, how I love Jesus” when there is money in your pocket. It is easy to say, “I’m too blessed to be depressed” when everyone is healthy. Smiles, singing praises, and testifying about God’s goodness come effortlessly when life is smooth, families are whole, jobs are secure, health is good, and you face no persecution, no hard-times, and no worries. As Christians, we must stick close to God even when it isn’t easy. He deserves our complete devotion whether it be in the good times or bad times. Jesus certainly stood by us when times got hard. When He was suffering persecution and being beat, spit on, and nailed to a cross, He endured it all because of His love for us. Let us love our Savior enough to stick by Him. Don’t be just a fan, be a follower.

Tune in to WBCU 103.5 FM Sundays at noon for the Shining Light Broadcast. I preach a 15-minute message that I pray will be a blessing to those who listen. If you have a prayer concern, comment, or question, please write to: Voice of Victory, Attn: David Burrell, PO Box 1221, Pacolet, SC 29372, message me on Facebook, or e-mail me at daveburrell@live.com.