faith on the far side

From Jeff Lucas, CWR daily, a book of devotional readings, May/June 2005.
I looked up at the preacher as he strode towards the pulpit. His hair was perfect, his immaculately tailored suit trousers boasted razorsharp creases, and his face was one massive, joyous smile. With an air of one in charge, he slapped his Bible down, and launched into his sermon with fanfare.
'Listen to me! People of faith are winners. Faith gives us the victory; it turns defeat into triumph, weakness into strength, it takes impossible situations and kisses them with possibility! The crowd warmed to him instantly. Some began voicing their approval with hearty 'Amens', clapping their hands ...
Fueled by the response, the preacher's voice stepped up an octave. 'I'm not the tail, I'm the head! I'm not a follower, I'm a leader. And I'm not under the circumstances, I'm over them!'
He was motoring now; impassioned, fiery, his voice urgent, demanding. 'Come on, who's coming with me to victory?'
Apparently most of the crowd longed to take that trip to the top. And I settled back into my seat, closed my eyes and groaned inwardly. What was the matter with me? I located the source of my struggle. This was not preaching, it was cheerleading; faith driven by snappy slogans. He made believing sound so easy. I tried to shut him out.
I'm a man of faith; I've had my share of epic answers to prayer; in fact sometimes I'm embarrassed about how many times God has done startling things for me. But I also know that faith is not just about winning; sometimes it's about hanging on when you've lost everything. I believe that Jesus is still able to heal the sick and I've stood by the hospital beds of some of the greatest people of faith and faithfulness. They believed for healing, and still succumbed - some painfully - to cancer and other evil diseases. Sometimes being a person of faith means trusting when you find yourself in a bewildering fog, when certainty has deserted you.
Daniel had to 'do' faith, not on a sun-kissed beach, but in the arid desert of exile. That's where people of faith are often found, living in faith on the far side. Whether it's Joseph in Egypt, Moses in Pharoah's court, Paul and Silas in a Roman prison, or Daniel in a pagan palace, often the greatest faith is to be found in the most desolate landscapes.