::I Believe::

"I believe in the sun when it isn’t shining. I believe in love even when I don’t feel it. I believe in God even when He is silent."
::Found scratched into the wall of a concentration camp after the Holocaust::

Here is a challenge I received in my Old Testament Message class yesterday morning. AIM classes really get you thinking.

Have you ever thought about what would happen to your faith if you lost everything? Think right now about your greatest fear in life. One of mine is that I will wind up alone. Now, just for a moment, imagine that whatever your greatest fear is, it happens. I never marry. I find myself one day in a nursing home, no husband, no children. Or, tomorrow you get a phone call that your entire family died in a car accident. Your best friend was murdered. You lose your job, your house, everything. You are arrested for a crime you didn't commit. You find out you have terminal cancer with 6 months to live. Your life is in absolute shambles and nothing is left.

Now what do you think about God?

Do you still believe in Him?

It happened to Job.

Because God doesn't promise us a happy ending here on earth. He doesn't say that life will be fair. In fact, He tells us up front that we will go through trials, persecution. God says that LIFE IS NOT FAIR. God is more interested in the development of your faith than your physical pleasure.He loves you enough to put you through every disaster, every heartbreak, every pain, every suffering, every struggle, every disease, every hurt, every loss, every single thing we fear so that your faith will stand strong on the day of judgment.

So what about your faith?

I know the faith of one unnamed Jew, locked away in the darkness of a concentration camp, watching friends and family be murdered before his eyes. He saw Satan. And do you know what he wrote?

"I believe in the sun when it isn’t shining. I believe in love even when I don’t feel it. I believe in God even when He is silent."

Do you?

Will you believe if, for the rest of your life, all of the evidence around you says not to believe in Him?

Will you believe in God if for the rest of your life you don’t get one sign that He is with you?

But here is the amazing thing. God does put signs all around us that He loves us. The fact that you are here, breathing, alive is proof of God's love for you. He created this world for us. He gave His Son for us. Jesus died for us. God made beauty and love and truth as a sign that He loves YOU. This world is full of signs, if only we would open our eyes. Each new day, each sunrise is a sign that He is with you, even if you can't see Him. He will never leave you, even when you can't feel Him. So trust in Him, and believe. No matter what.

"When I'm feeling all alone
With so far to go
The signs are nowhere on this road
Guiding me home
When the night is closing in
Is falling on my skin
Oh God will You come close?

Light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me You are with me
I, I, I can't deny
No, I can't deny that You are right here with me
You've opened my eyes
So I can see You all around me
Light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me
That You are with me

When stars are hiding in the clouds
I don't feel them shining
When I can't see You beyond my doubt
The silver lining
When I've almost reached the end
Like a flood You're rushing in
Your love is rushing in

So I run straight into Your arms
You're the bright and morning sun
To show Your love there's nothing You won't do

Light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me You are with me
I, I, I can't deny
No, I can't deny that You are right here with me
You've opened my eyes
So I can see You all around me
Light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me
That You are with me

You are with me."


::"Light Up the Sky" by The Afters::


-ej