Screwtape Letter #8 – Discussion Guide

Consider the disciples – how often they were afraid – and how often Jesus comforted them.
It’s like they were on a roller coaster of peaks and troughs.

For example – See Mark 4:35-41 –

Jesus Calms the Storm

Mk 4:35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

Mk 4:39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Mk 4:40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mk 4:41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

And – it’s not like God doesn’t know these things are going to happen to us –
as we see in Mark 14:27-31 –

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

Mk 14:27“You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written:

“ ‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

Mk 14:29 Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”

Mk 14:30 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”

Mk 14:31 But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

So – it’s a normal part of being “us”.

Moses would be one example. He led the Israelites for forty years through the desert. During that time – Moses messed up big time. The one I’m going to use wasn’t the first – but for an example of how to respond in the trough – this is a good one.

As usual – the people were complaining – this particular time about the lack of water.

We read about it in Numbers 20:1-13 –

Water From the Rock

Nu 20:1 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

Nu 20:2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! 4 Why did you bring the LORD’S community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

Nu 20:6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell face down, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. 7 The LORD said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

Nu 20:9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD’S presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

Nu 20:12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

Nu 20:13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he showed himself holy among them.

A New Testament example could be Paul –

He had a lot of issues after his conversion to follow Jesus – being imprisoned – shipwrecked – etc.
There was one instance where he wrote to the Corinthians about what he called a “thorn” in his flesh in 2 Co 12:7-10 –

2Co 12:7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

And that shows us where we could be.
Not that we all have to go through what Paul did – thankfully.
But – it shows that with God’s power – He can get us through anything – even things like that.

Below is an excerpt from Pathways to His Presence – by Charles Stanley. 

Life sometimes feels like an endless roller coaster, full of surprising twists and turns—some that excite us and others that severely disappoint us. And during the ride of life, our weaknesses are revealed. As believers, we need to know how to handle the ups and downs so that our relationship with Christ remains consistent in its nature and we can have a victorious walk.

When our weaknesses are revealed, we discover our inability to accomplish something to its full potential. The world leads us to believe that weakness is a liability; however, in our relationship with Christ, it can oftentimes be our greatest asset.

Paul realized his weaknesses. Agonizing over them and bemoaning his situation never accomplished what was necessary. Yet Paul’s accepting attitude of his weaknesses resulted in the avenue God needed to intervene.

In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul wrote, “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Paul discovered that strength was found in weaknesses. Instead of trying to lug his cross up a hill, Paul decided it was best turned over to the Lord. When Paul’s strength was insufficient, he turned to God. As a result, Paul humbly walked through life’s ups and downs with a perspective that kept his eyes forever focused on Jesus.

There’s a song by Chris Tomlin – Your Grace is Enough –
we sing it –
we “know it” –
but do we live it?

That’s what Paul is about here –
living that them of Your Grace is Enough.

For many of us – it’s hard to even remember when things get tough –
but that’s when we need it the most.

It’s easy to follow God when things are going well –
When they get too good – maybe we start to forget –
But when they get really bad – it’s all to easy to forget.

So – we see that God can bring us back to reality – His reality –
when we get to high on the hype cycle.

As this section points out –
He can also bring us from the depths of the deepest trough –
and that’s where His power and glory are most evident –
through the power to get us through those times.