Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Because He lives

For some reason I'm reminded this morning of Gideon and his battle against the Midianites. Maybe you've heard the story. Gideon and his men camped near a spring, south of the Midianite camp. The Lord said to Gideon before the battle, "You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands or Israel would boast against me, 'my own strength has saved me."

Long story short, The Lord and Gideon have a running conversation and from the original 22,000 the number of men are reduced to 300. The Lord wanted to make sure all the men who went to battle understood who was actually going to provide victory -- and it wasn't them.

Here's my testimony this morning. I am incapable of doing the job I've been given. I am incapable of changing lives. I am incapable of growing a church from scratch. I am incapable of, well, anything good.

And it is that crushing but somehow liberating thought that gives me hope this morning.

Matt Maher writes it this way:
I believe in the Son
I believe in the risen One
I believe I overcome
By the power of His blood

Amen, Amen
I'm alive, I'm alive
Because He lives
Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends
Because He lives

In a meeting last night of addicts that I'm currently involved with, a newcomer told his tale and his story was so familiar I wanted to cry. He was having trouble with the why question. Why is God allowing this? Why have I lost my job? Why am I struggling with these problems? If God loves me so much, why?

I have no answers for such questions, but I am in the process of understanding (after 20 years) that has no function in God's world. I don't have to know. What I have to know is Him. He loves. He saves. He raises.

Can I fix the situation I'm in? Nope.

But He can.

And I believe that He wouldn't bring me here to leave me here. I just have to figure a way to surrender all of me, not good portions of me but all of me.

When and if that happens, then we can discuss Wesley's Christian perfection.

Till then.

Amen. Amen.
Because He lives.

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