I Still Believe

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.”
Job 1:21

When I read the book of Job, I am amazed that he made it through his situation alive. The guy lost his source of wealth (herds, flocks, camels and servants), experienced the loss of not one but ALL of his children, became struck with sores all over his body and then was surrounded by his wife and friends who could only continue to question why God would allow this to happen to him. In today's world, he would have been given loads of antidepressant medications, round-the-clock counseling and locked up in a hospital room for observation. We probably wouldn't expect a very good outcome. Instead, Job somehow holds onto his faith in God and in the end, is blessed beyond measure. His faith seems almost unattainable.

While I was in Pittsburgh, for the Seminars 4 Worship conference, one of the many things I walked away with was the song "We Still Believe" that Kathryn Scott shared with us. It reminded me not only of Job and his plight but of all the times, I have had to stand firm in my faith even when it seemed God wasn't there. The words of that song are the symbol of all of us who have suffered loss, those who have experienced God's blessings, and those who are still waiting for an answer. They are the cry of one body of believers all confirming that no matter situation we are in, we still believe that God is Good and Faithful. No matter what I have to yet face in life, I know that God is powerful enough to move but even more wise to know when not to. I pray that where ever you are in your journey, you will one day be moved to sing out these words in faith and surrender.

We Still Believe

From the thankful heart to the battle-scarred
From the comforted to those who grieve
From the mountaintop to the empty cup
From the waiting to those who have received
We cry out as one

We still believe
We still believe
We're still surrendering our hearts
Your faithfulness is our reward

We still believe
We still believe
And though the journey has been hard
We will confess your goodness, God
We still believe

From the reborn hope to the weary soul
From the quest for truth to those who seek
From the soaring wings to the shattered dream
From the broken to those who have been healed
We cry out as one

We still believe
We still believe
We're still surrendering our hearts
Your faithfulness is our reward

We still believe
We still believe
And though the journey has been hard
We will confess your goodness, God
We still believe



Through the fire, through the pain
We offer you our yes again

Through the fire, through the pain
We offer you our yes again

Don't Die in the Drought

"I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent." Revelation 3:1b-3a


Right before the drought that has hit our area of the country, I bought quite a few plants for a flowerbed off of our patio. One of them being a Gardenia. Gardenias are beautiful plants with full blooms but they are also very stubborn. They only like so much sun, need lots of water and even are particular on the temperatures they will bloom in. When the drought set in, I wasn't very mindful of the grass and even much of the flowers. I figured eventually it would rain and they would be fine. Some of them were. The Gardenia plant, on the other hand, is a far cry from o.k. It is pretty close to death. Even though I watered it occasionally (which kept the rest of the plants alive) I didn't give it the time and amount of sustainable water it needed. I am not sure how much longer it will last, but I am holding on hope that it will make it.
Our spiritual lives can be similar to that Gardenia. Some of us do just enough to get by (go to church, say a prayer before a meal) and that might sustain us for a while. It could potentially sustain us for years. The problem is, without growth, without taking the time to really nurture our faith, we can not live out our lives the way God intended. When we merely maintain our faith, we might be able to get through daily issues and even raise our kids to want to go to church. But, when the fire and drought come, we will find that what we have used to keep us feeling o.k. will not get us through the hard times. If we never learn to seek God earnestly and learn to do what He taught, we will wither away. If we want to learn to feed ourselves, we have to take time and effort. It means not just going to church, but being a part of a church whether its serving, being in a small group or other involvement. We need to not just pray at our meals, but seek Him we need direction, thank Him for his many blessings and cry out to Him when we are suffering. We need to find ways to help us grow in our walk with Christ. I hope that this week, you will search out areas in your spiritual life that need tending to.