No Matter What Comes
I remember a saying I would hear growing up... “Hindsight is 20/20”.
Well, here we are in the year 2020, and I’m eager to see what hindsight tells us about this current year. We’ve seen political and civil unrest, fires across the world and let’s not forget, we are currently living through a global pandemic. That’s only to name a few big events of 2020. When I look back on all that has happened this year, then begin to realize that more uncertainty and disruption in our lives will likely come, as a believer, I have to remind myself that this is not how it’s supposed to be. We live in a fallen world. A world that can only be made right by Jesus. “I Believe (No Matter What Comes)” was written with the knowledge of this truth to remind ourselves that our hope is only in Jesus.
At Fellowship Bible Church, we recently finished a series entitled “The Wilderness”. Lloyd and Rob taught on how God used the wilderness to refine or to “shape” His people. In all of our steps through life, we learn from our trials; our own version of the wilderness Israel walked through, where we are literally praying our way through the days, step by step. We may even sometimes be frustrated with God and question Him. I pray that 2020 will be a year that we look back with hindsight and see that God moved in a mighty way, that He shaped us, He delivered us, even when we may not have trusted Him fully. He fulfills His promises.
However, before we can look back to see what God has done, we can’t forget to be present and declare how God is moving today. While we feel the weight of all that is happening in this world, our faith and beliefs are being tested from every side, every day. It’s important that we not only remember what we believe, but that we also remind each other of that Truth we so desperately need every day. This is one of the main reasons we worship our God through song. We sing TOGETHER of our beliefs and we remind EACH OTHER— our neighbors, our bothers, our sisters, our children, our friends… of who our God is and what He has done and is doing. He keeps His promises. He is faithful. He is GOOD.
Creeds are also a way of doing this very thing. Creeds have been used since the beginning of the Christian faith. The word creed comes from the Latin word credo which is translated “I believe”. What happens when we declare our belief over our situation and we declare that God is sovereign through it all? We worship... “No matter what comes our way.”
Who is our God and why do we worship Him?
Colossians 1:16-17 says, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” He is before ALL THINGS. If God is above and before all things... our hope cannot be shaken when things don’t go our way. He is working on our behalf, He is holding it all together.
Romans 8:28 says.... “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” When we are in the wilderness, thirsty, tired, and sick, He is working things together for our good. Even if we can’t see it in the moment.
Some of us may very well be in the hardest parts of life. Even more, we need to remember that He loves us and cares for us.
Matthew 6:26 says.... “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?” We are of value to God. He loves us so much, He gave up His Son Jesus for us. As we come to sing this new song, I Believe (No Matter What Comes), my hope is that it becomes a creed for us. That we as a church and a body of believers can express these truths to one another in hopes of reminding each other of who we serve and why we serve Him. We are also giving our hearts a voice to express to God our adoration. We know that we can rest in His sovereignty over the wilderness we are walking through while trusting with confidence that He is refining us every day while we walk with Him. My hope is that the words from ”I Believe (No Matter What Comes)” will encourage us with the shield of faith and the belt of truth.
He is Sovereign over our lives. He is our hope. He keeps His promises. He quenches our thirst in the desert. Even in our failures, His love endures. He is good. Even when we can’t see where we are going, He still leads us and refines us. His word is true. His name is power …NO MATTER WHAT COMES!