Worship - August
Well, here we are, six weeks into my ministry with you all here at Oakhill, and another month into this pandemic. By this time we thought we would be kicking off VBS, we thought we would be well into "phase 5" of the Governor's reopening plan, and if you're like me, you thought by this time things would really be getting back to normal. Over the last few weeks I have realized that, due to the pandemic, there are a significant number of you whom I have not even had a chance to meet yet. And even when I have been able to meet many of you, we had to wear masks, which is just weird. So far, nothing about this year has gone according to plan. This year has been stressful, confusing, difficult, and at times infuriating. However, it is not my intention to complain. In fact, I know that there are countless people who have been far more profoundly impacted by the pandemic than I have, and I just don't think I have any right to complain.
Instead, my hope is to offer a word of encouragement. Perhaps it sounds cliche to you, and perhaps you're tired of hearing it, but what I want to remind you of today is that God does not change. Our world has done nothing but change over the last four months... but God has not. A couple of months ago, I was reminded of this when I was listening to a song, and these words have challenged me and been close to my heart ever since. The song is called "All That Is To Come", and it is by Christy Nockels. In particular the phrase that grabbed hold of my attention was this, "Hear me say, 'Yes and Amen'. Tomorrow you'll be faithful again." There is so much truth packed into this one little phrase, and it reflects a heart that trusts God, and believes that He is faithful. As I said, God does not change, period (Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, and so many more). And part of His unchanging nature is that He is faithful. He always has been faithful, and He always will be faithful. Included within those five simple words "Tomorrow You'll be faithful again", is the understanding that God was faithful yesterday, that He has been and will continue to be faithful today. The only question is whether or not we believe that He will continue to be faithful
tomorrow.
In my head I know that God is faithful, and in my head I know that He never changes. However, sometimes I need to proclaim this truth to my own heart so that I can rest in the knowledge of God's faithfulness. After all, this is exactly what He wants from me. Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-33 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."