How about both?

Far too often we use prayer as an excuse to not do what we are supposed to do. When we have a problem we “pray about it,” which is great, but if we are unwilling to act appropriately in response to whatever God shows us about our situation, why are we praying? For example, it is wonderful to pray that God will meet someone’s need but if we are not at least willing to be the vessel used to meet it, our prayer is . . . well, hypocrisy. It is also wonderful to pray for forgiveness and mercy and grace if we find that we have done or said something wrong. But if we are not willing to turn from the wrong and actually start doing right our prayers are . . . hypocrisy. We are only acting.

Paul was a man of prayer but he was also a man of action. His prayers reached heaven because he was seeking to not only know but to do the will of God. As a result he heard from heaven. He allowed the Holy Spirit to lead him from place to place, to guide him in what he said and what he did. He didn’t “just” pray about situations. He prayed about them and made himself available. Prayer is important because it enables us to connect with our Maker, to “tap in” so-to-speak to God’s wisdom and power and strength. We not only receive guidance when we quiet our hearts to pray, we are encouraged that we can also “move mountains.” Anything is possible! But prayer is not supposed to be a crutch that makes us feel better so we can go about our day and do whatever we want. This is especially true when it comes to praying about things we actually do have control over. Our attitudes, the way we treat people, gossip . . . we can pray all day long that we will treat people better but if we do not begin acting on those prayers (in faith that God will give us the power to do so) our prayers are. . . hypocrisy.  We are only acting.

All Christians pray as we were taught: “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” but we do not always act on this prayer. Do we put our faith in action by loving our neighbors? By meeting the needs of those around us? By contributing to the cause of Christ? By not only asking for God to make us gracious people but actually him to convict and challenge us to be gracious? By doing what he prompts us to do, even if it’s humbling? By NOT doing what we know we’re NOT supposed to do?

If we are willing to pray we must also be WILLING to act. If we pray “thy will be done” we must also be willing to do the will of God.

Connection is key, we should never act on our own impulses or do good works just because they make us feel better. But we should be “acting” and “working.” That is what being a Christian—a “little Christ,” is all about.

” . . . work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life . . . ” ~Philippians 2:12-16 ESV

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 ESV

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what goodis that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. . . you see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.”  James 2:14-18. 22 ESV

“The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” 1 John 2:6 NASB

This morning I was standing in church for the first time in a while (it’s difficult to stand or sit for long periods of time since the accident) and as I usually do, I was reflecting on the lyrics I was singing. Every song spoke of hope. Lyrics such as “you are stronger” encouraged my weary heart. Sometimes it’s hard to hold on to that truth, especially when the evidence of that strength seems to be lacking in our lives or in the lives of those we love.

So many people I cherish are going through pain. Physical, mental, spiritual, financial . . . I and many others are praying for them and some of the prayers have not yet been answered. This morning I thought, “how I can look at them in their moment of crises and sing, ‘He is stronger?’” They already know it. They have been some of the strongest, most faithful examples of faith to me, always encouraging ME in my mini trials to trust in God.

The tragic passing of Rick Warren’s son and the recent passing of a beautiful 24-year-old woman who was the daughter of missionaries are examples of faithful families whose faith has been tested beyond comprehension. Both families have given their whole life to serving Christ and his people. Yet something terrible happened. How does one address such a situation? What does a song like “Stronger” meant to them in their darkest hour? How can I encourage my friend, who suffers daily from previous cancer treatments and whose precious daughter passed away from brain cancer, to hold on to her faith? She has given her all to Christ, too. Her whole family spends their time ministering to those in need. If God IS stronger why hasn’t he broken through in her situation? Why wasn’t her daughter healed? Why has my friend continued to suffer?

We have been promised victory through Christ. Because of his death and resurrection we no longer need to live in fear of the past, present, or future. He has promised to be with us always. But how do we hold on to our belief that God really is stronger when everything happening in our lives seems to tell us the opposite? When the world seems to be winning, when our children seem to be wandering, when society continues to stray farther and farther away from the reality of God . . . how do we trust he is stronger? What does victory really look like?

As I was thinking and praying about these things I was suddently reminded: 400 years. That’s how long Israel waited for deliverance from slavery. 400 years! God’s precious people, the seed of Abraham, suffered cruelly. GENERATIONS DIED before their rescue came.

That’s OT, right? Now that Jesus has come things are different? Wrong! Hebrews says their example is what we must cling to and learn from as we await the return of our Messiah.

There was a reason for this reminder: the people of faith in the NT do not differ from the OT in regards to suffering. They faced persecution and imprisonment, some were thrown to lions to be mauled to death for sport. The apostle John was exiled until his death. Peter was crucified upside down. Paul was imprisoned, beaten multiple times, then finally beheaded. No, my friends, we who believe in Christ are not exempt from crises.

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13 ESV

The truth is that God IS faithful, he IS stronger, he IS in the midst of every crises his people face. Tragedies happen, even to the most faithful in our midst. Sometimes the enemy DOES seem to win. . . but we still have the victory. Victory by faith. Faith in the promises of God. Just as Abraham’s descendents held on (and some have continued to hold on) we must hold on, regardless of what is going on all around us or even in our own bodies.

“Thanks be to God who gives us the victory.”  -Paul (beaten, imprisoned, executed). What is victory?

Victory is holding on to hope even when everything around you points you to despair

Victory is believing that God is and that he rewards those who seek him even when every circumstance in your life calls his very existence in your life into question.

Victory is praying and not losing heart.

Victory is truly understanding that God WILL break through and answer every prayer for healing, etc.  whether in this life or the next.

Victory is understanding that this life is not our life.

Our home is with God, the eternal is real.

Keep the faith, dear friends, regardless of your present circumstance. You are not alone. There are many who have gone before you and many are suffering with you, even now, all around the world. We’re in this race together! Keep singing…

“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Romans 8:24-25 ESV

“For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:14-16 ESV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 ESV

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 ESV

“And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two,they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

“And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:12-39 ESV

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. . . . our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:14-21 ESV

He is stronger.

Every time I read Proverbs something “new” reaches out and grabs my attention. Tonight was no exception. From the first half-sentence I was caught . . .

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,

(Already time to stop, re-read and reflect…) Receive and treasure . . .  Do I do this? Is this my attitude?

making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;

This is an ACT. We must actually make our ears “attentive.” We must be available.

yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,

This is an act of humility: God will give to us freely . . . but, as C.S. Lewis’ put it in the Narnia series: He likes to be asked.

if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,

Most of us have no problem “seeking out” things . . . we know what it means in every other area of our life. We pursue wealth, health, etc.. We understand that we must work to earn a living and eat right and exercise to stay fit . . .  but we seem to forget that it is not only in our natural lives that “we reap what we sow.” Our spiritual lives work the same way: we reap what we sow. How are we spending our energy? Pursuing worldly things or pursuing Christ? Do we actually care enough or desire the knowledge of God enough to seek after it? Or do we just expect it to be automatically given to us just because we call ourselves by His name?

then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God . . . then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;

I think this might be the number one problem facing the American church today: we have stopped encouraging one another to actively pursue the wisdom of God. Because of this we are a confused bunch. Some of us have begun to adopt the world’s views because we lack understanding. What is dark seems like light to us and visa versa. We are shaky in our convictions and have a hard time giving straight answers when cornered about some very important issues.  Some of us have left the teachings of Christ completely . . . why?

We cannot possibly understand God’s ways/commandments/teachings if our relationship with him has no foundation. If our faith has been based on hear-say and we have not pursued the knowledge of God we will find ourselves lacking and perhaps even straying from truth.

If we want understanding and wisdom we must seek it. We must make our ears attentive, we must ask. “Ask and you will receive,” said the Savior. “Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.”

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.

These are promises! He WILL speak to us and when he does, instead of misunderstanding or being offended at what he says (because it does not line up with the world’s way of thinking), his words will be pleasant to us. We will not only “know” them . . . we’ll understand them and have no problem sharing them (and we’ll make a whole lot more sense to those who hear us because we won’t just be repeating what we have “heard”!)

For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.  . . .

So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.

Let’s “keep to the path” by pursuing our Savior. Let’s humble ourselves and cry out for what we desperately need in this hour: wisdom and understanding.

Last week I read part of a friend’s blog about the incredible journey he has been on over the past several years. It hasn’t been an easy one. He has suffered so much. But his words spoke to my soul and encouraged me. I would like to share them – exactly as he wrote them – with you. One of my favorite parts was, “You are NOT defined by ANYTHING other than Christ.” It reminded me of what a new friend said to me when I was in Austin a few weekends ago . . . “This {pain} is NOT your life.” We are more than our struggles and pains. We are sons and daughters of God. He is and will continue to be faithful to us as we trust in Him. Things don’t always get easier and our circumstances don’t always change, at least not right away. But our God loves us and will be with us every step of the way.

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32

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From Jonathan Outlaw:

“Through this storm I have had a crash course in the meaning of surrendering to Christ. Truth is, everyone’s life is one moment away from being turned completely upside-down… and that’s because “life happens”. When trials and tribulations come our way, we are faced with a decision to make… am I going to stop worrying about the things of this earth (your life included) and start being concerned with the things that will carry on FOREVER… in short, am I going to die to myself? Or, will I be focused on my things, myself, what I’m going through and nothing else? Remember, when you go through your trial be sure to look outside in the morning and notice how the sun has come up, and how it will continue to come up every morning no matter how bad things get in your life. It doesn’t matter how hard you try, the world’s “steady state” will continue on without you and you have no control over that. It was at this point in my life that I truly grasped the concept of how insignificant we are, and how lonely and difficult that is to accept. It was also at that moment that I realized that the one who put the sun in the sky, the one who created all the things we can see with and without the naked eye… It is He, who makes us significant. He loves us enough to go through the worst affliction possible FOR US, and without Him we would have no future outside of this short life. Our Creator, THE Creator cares about all of us, because of Him we can have eternity in Heaven, and once we leave this life we will all acknowledge how insignificant the things of this world were. So I encourage you all to focus on the things that will carry on forever. Read God’s word and fill your hearts and minds with His truth so that when tough times come you have the confidence in knowing that the things of this world hold have no hold (i.e. fear, worry, doubt, etc.) over you.

“You are NOT defined by ANYTHING other than Christ, the one who created you and died for you. Remember, God is and will always be, in control…”

Thank you, Jon, for the reminder.

Psalms 30:1-12 ESV:

“I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. . . . To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!” You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!”

“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.” Psalm 37:39

A few days ago I watched a video clip of three or four women sitting in a circle, playing their guitars and singing a praise song together. It was beautiful. They were so engaged in worship, they didn’t care about anything else. I began to think back to the times in my life where I was one of those women. I so enjoyed when I had time to sit around with friends, play my guitar and sing . . . Somehow those moments made me feel as if there was nothing on earth that could conquer me or my faith. I knew that God was mighty and strong and I was confident that everything I was singing was true.

As we grow older, the harsh realities of life have a way of changing our outlook. We begin to realize what we thought we already knew: that faith is more than sweet songs and nice feelings. Sometimes the songs that once brought joy, the scriptures that always brought comfort, the messages that used to challenge, convict, uplift, and encourage, do so no longer. In those seasons we ask ourselves, what now? Have we left the faith?

The apostle Paul described faith as a fight. There’s a reason he used that term! Paul’s life journey was not an easy one. His revelation of Christ made him leap for joy but it also caused him a great deal of suffering. He lost everything when he chose to follow Jesus. Paul endured more heartache and suffering than most of us can imagine (sometimes it seems the more one gives, the more one loses. . . . the saying is true: life isn’t fair), but he kept the faith. He didn’t put on a fake smile and pretend everything was OK. He was honest and told his friends that he knew what it was like to feel empty, broken, disheartened, and disappointed. He was open about his struggles. “We despaired even of life,” he shared. He didn’t write those things because he wanted sympathy but because he wanted people to understand that God is “ever present” DESPITE the struggles we go through.

There are people in this world whose pain is so great that no song or message or verse in the world will make them feel better (in the past 24 hours I have heard of 4 tragedies by phone and by email and Erik and I have also recently experienced loss). They need to understand that they are not alone. Others have also “walked through fire.”

So what happens when the songs are no longer comforting and the messages sound empty? What does it mean if the scriptures seem like dead letters on a page? What happens when the trial is too much for us? Are we condemned for feeling defeated? Is God ashamed of us for being disappointed? I don’t believe he is. God is not afraid of our questions. He is not threatened by our pain. He longs to comfort us in our moments of grief. He does not condemn us for being human. But we have choices in this life. We can blame God or other people for every difficulty that comes our way, we can try to figure out the “reasons” for everything, or we can just recognize that this world is not our home. Bad things happen here. Difficulties WILL come our way (“in this world you will have trouble”). But we can fight. We can keep the faith, because like Paul we know that our faith is not based on our circumstances. “Hope that is seen is not hope.” Harsh realities need not rob us of our faith or our passion. Pain and suffering need not destroy us.

So . . . what happens when it’s no longer beautiful? We wait. We trust. We rest in the knowledge that our God is faithful and will see us through.

Praying for JOY and STRENGTH and HOPE to fill your heart and the hearts of all who believe today.

“We are under all kinds of pressure, but we are not crushed completely; we are at a loss, but we are not at our wits’ end; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are cast down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Peace,

Stephanie

“My dear family, when you find yourselves tumbling into various trials and tribulations, learn to look at it with complete joy, because you know that, when your faith is put to the test, what comes out is patience.” (James 1:2-3 KNT)

It is difficult to maintain an attitude of trust when faced with difficulty, but the Lord invites us to do so. We are told we can “cast all our anxiety on him” and “he will daily bear our burdens.” This does not mean that we should consider everything that happens in our lives as being sent by God, but it does mean that we have a compassionate Savior who feels our pain and who will bear it with us.

“God’s blessing on the man who endures testing! When he has passed the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Nobody being tested should say, ‘It’s God that’s testing me,’ for God cannot be tested by evil, and he himself tests nobody.” (James 1:12-13 KNT)

Crisis moments aren’t the appropriate time to ask questions and those who seek to offer comfort need to understand that it is also not the appropriate time to offer answers. We may never understand everything that is thrown our way in life. And we don’t have to. That’s the beautiful thing about walking with Jesus. We can accept his love and peace without question. We can accept what we do not understand and rest in the knowledge that our God is truly good and merciful, despite life’s difficulties. We can accept strength from our Savior and let the Holy Spirit bring us comfort—comfort that “answers” could never bring. (Not everything has an “answer.” And even if we knew the answers to our questions, would that take away our pain? No.)

“Don’t be deceived, my dear family. Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes down from above, from the father of lights. His steady light doesn’t vary. It doesn’t change and produce shadows.” (James 1:16-17 KNT)

God doesn’t change. He isn’t playing games with us. God is love.

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah” (Psalm 68:19 ESV)

“Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.” (Psalms 28:6-8 ESV)

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. . .
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me;
The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.” (Psalm 18:1-6 ESV)

“Be gracious to me, O Lord , for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.
But I trust in you, O Lord ; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand; rescue me . . .
Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!
O Lord, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you ….
Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you
And worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!
Blessed be the Lord, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city.
I had said in my alarm, ‘I am cut off from your sight.’
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.
Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful . . .
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!” (Psalms 31:9, 14-17, 19, 21-24 ESV)

Happy Christmas Eve!

In a time of political and social unrest, God came to earth in the form of a child. A “Prince of Peace” was born in the midst of chaos and confusion. He could have come as a warrior/king but instead he came as a child. Babies are helpless—he put himself in our hands. This was God’s way of inviting us to participate with him in his mission of restoration.

Today he does the same. He comes to us in gentleness and humility and invites us to be a part of something amazing. The God of the universe is not afraid to let us carry his presence to others. He comes, he fills us with light and power, and he enables us to be the men and women we are called to be.

This Christmas may we remember Emmanuel—”God with us.” May our hearts be prepared for his coming. May we, like John (see verse below) let him fill us so we can participate in his plan of restoring the whole world to life and peace.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us . . . Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us . . . to grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; To give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:69-79 NASB

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6 NASB

Merry Christmas, friends!

Stephanie

I’ve been contemplating why Christians feel they need to have “answers” for everything that happens in life. I’ve even heard people make trite comments about the recent election, as if making a religious statement will somehow help them accept the results. The problem with constantly offering answers is that it can be confusing to those who may not know God. For example: if fifteen Christians post fifteen different reasons why something happens, what does that say to those who don’t know Christ? I’ve had at least one friend who is not a Christian tell me how confused she has been because of the overly simplified statements/explanations offered by Christians on the subject of suffering. Why do we say, when someone is going through a major crises, “God is teaching you something”? Or, “God knows what he is doing!” (Of course God is teaching them something! He’s constantly teaching us, crises or no crises. But that does not mean God is the one sending the crises.) Simplified statements like that can actually do more harm than good because they can make it seem like we are not sensitive to or empathizing with the person who is suffering. Why is it so hard for us to accept that not everything has an “answer”—at least not an answer we can understand or even need to know?

It reminds me of Job’s story. His “friends” came to visit him during a very perplexing and difficult time and offered him so many different explanations and answers for his crises. Sometimes, as I read through the story, I wish I could yell at his friends because (I say this from personal experience) when one is at their absolute lowest, answers aren’t what they need. To a battle weary soul, simple answers sound like empty religious rhetoric. Imagine being a soldier on a battlefield, shell-shocked after a fierce attack from an enemy. Some, if not all of your friends have been killed or maimed. You yourself are badly injured. Suppose one of the chaplains came up to you and said, “Well, God must be trying to teach you something.” Or worse, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you . . .” Ouch. I don’t think you’d appreciate that sort of comfort. Whispering something like, “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted” as he carries you out of harm’s way would probably be a better idea. Or perhaps just sitting with you until the battle dies down.

Job’s friend constantly reminded Job of the sovereignty and majesty and power of God . . . obvious truths (mixed with bad theology) but they weren’t telling the whole story. Their “knowledge” of the ways of God was limited. Truths they knew but TRUTH they knew little. Because of their short-sightedness and their inability to truly empathize with Job’s suffering, their comfort was neither appropriate nor was it helpful. Job needed the comfort of the Holy Spirit. He needed God himself to come and strengthen his heart in the midst of the trial. From his friends he simply needed companionship and perhaps some encouragement so he could continue looking to his Creator, not for answers, but for strength. At the end of his story Job had a powerful encounter with God that caused him to put his “hand over {his} mouth” (Job 40:4). In that moment he realized that all of his questions, frustrations, anxieties, and emotional and physical pain didn’t need explanation. “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen You,” he said. Seeing God was enough.

The world doesn’t need answers, they need THE answer. If we recklessly throw out “answers” and “truths” in times of crises we can unintentionally misrepresent the very God we are trying to explain. (For example, sometimes it sounds to people as if we are saying that whatever we or the world is experiencing is God’s fault. That’s just not the case! We live in a world where suffering is often the result of people sinning against each other. Genocide, homicide, rape, abuse . . . these things are not God’s fault! Neither is cancer or other sicknesses. Bodily sickness is part of being mortal.)

This world is a beautiful and horrible place. God is with us through it all. As for what he is doing and why things happen? “He knows the way I take . . . ” said the suffering servant (Job 23:10). That’s all we really need to know.

One day after we returned from two weeks of music ministry overseas we received a call from RZIM (Ravi Zacharias International Ministries) asking if we would be available to do the music for their annual Founder’s weekend event. The group they had originally scheduled to be there was no longer going to be performing so, one week and one day later, Erik and I found ourselves traveling to Orlando to be a part of a very special event.

The people who attend Founder’s Weekend are major contributors (financially and otherwise) to RZIM’s projects around the world. The speakers were fantastic, enlightening, and inspiring, and the projects that were highlighted confirmed to Erik and me what we already knew: RZIM is an incredible organization.

We are so thankful for the opportunities we had to meet and to fellowship with such a special group of people—all who desire to serve the Lord with unity of heart and mind. We are thankful that we were able to hear so many wonderful speakers such as Os Guinness, Vince Vitale, Jim Cymbala, and of course, Dr. Ravi Zacharias.

We are also thankful to Dr. Ravi Zacharias who was so gracious to us as we had so little time to prepare! We didn’t know exactly what the event was all about until we arrived and I felt at times that I was flying “by the seat of my pants” with song choices, etc.. I did my best to put into practice what the Lord has taught me over the past 15 years and maintain a ministry focus, knowing that it is the PRESENCE OF CHRIST that ALWAYS makes the difference.

It was a humbling experience in so many ways. The passage God gave me to encourage my heart at the beginning of the weekend was Luke 21:1-4, the story of the poor widow who put a small amount into the temple treasury. Jesus said her gift was precious, not because she gave as much as everyone else, or because her gift was valuable in and of itself, but because she gave all she had.

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

I felt a bit like that widow before each music set. What could I possibly do to encourage such an outstanding group of strong, faithful, believers? How could my music make any impact at all? I am so thankful Jesus says it’s not how much we have or even what we have that makes a difference: it’s the fact that we’re giving our all.

Tanya Walker touched on this Friday morning when she talked about “the loaves & the fish” (another passage of Scripture God often gives to me before ministry events), Moses’ staff (another passage God always gives to me, often using my father to remind me of it), and David’s pebbles. All of these stories show that God is able to use whatever we have “in our hands.” (Sometimes he has to break it and bless it before he multiplies it!) He can work miracles through anyone willing to give what they have. My dad always asks me, “what is in your hand?” quoting God’s question to Moses before the Exodus, and Tanya asked the same question: “What is in your hand?”

Jim Cymbala said: “God is not looking for ability, He is looking for availability.”

Dr. Zacharias said it is often when we are most exhausted, when we feel weak or unprepared that Christ’s anointing flows through us. “My power is perfected in weakness,” the Lord told Paul. And the same is true for us.

I feel as though we have been in a whirlwind over the past few weeks but it has been wonderful. God was faithful to lead us as we ministered in Scotland and England and we trust He was with us in Orlando. We are sure He will continue to be faithful.

In other news: “O Come O Come Emmanuel” (a remix from last year) will be available on iTunes (Lord willing) next week!

And here’s a link for one of the things RZIM is doing: http://www.rzim.org/study/introductory/ask/

One of the videos we shared at a rehab center in Scotland.