Faithful
"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails" (Prov. 19:21).
Ballots ready, check. Membership list, check. Ballot-counting team, check. Excitement, check. We're ready for Sunday--the vote for the senior pastor candidate. The staff is ready; the church is ready.
Saturday--an email, the senior pastor candidate withdrew his nomination. Sunday, no vote. Instead of the certainty of affirmation, the end of a journey, we find ourselves in more uncertainty, doubt, emotions high, at the beginning of a new journey, of which we don't know. A few hours, a few words, and our paths are changed.
I was proud of how my church responded--no blame on the search committee or the senior pastor candidate nor none involved. We looked to the Lord, we prayed to the Lord, we proclaimed our trust in him, we proclaimed his faithfulness. I left feeling that the Lord was glorified and that we as a body took a step closer to trusting the Lord in each new situation.
We were reminded we are God's people--who Christ "loved...and gave himself up for [us] to make [us] holy, cleansing [us] by the washing with water through the word, to present [us] to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Eph. 5:25-27). And his purpose cannot be thwarted (Is. 64:10; Eph. 1:11-12). We are not led by man, but by our Lord. He is the head of the church.
He is faithful.
"I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken" (Ps. 16:7-8).
"God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (Heb. 13:5-6).
We as a church have no Plan B. We go to God. He knows our paths and he is working for our good, although in ways we do not understand. Our leaders called us to humble ourselves, to seek him, to entrust ourselves to him, to pray, to seek him. He is FAITHFUL. He is using this time. He knows. We step out, knowing he knows where we go.
I pray we as a body seek him more. That we serve him in weakness, so that his power may tabernacle on us (2 Cor. 12:9-10). That we are one as a body through Him.
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 15:5-6).
We left with no more answers. But with all the answer--He is faithful. Our feelings of shock and uncertainty turned to praise and trust. This is worship. He is FAITHFUL.
Ballots ready, check. Membership list, check. Ballot-counting team, check. Excitement, check. We're ready for Sunday--the vote for the senior pastor candidate. The staff is ready; the church is ready.
Saturday--an email, the senior pastor candidate withdrew his nomination. Sunday, no vote. Instead of the certainty of affirmation, the end of a journey, we find ourselves in more uncertainty, doubt, emotions high, at the beginning of a new journey, of which we don't know. A few hours, a few words, and our paths are changed.
I was proud of how my church responded--no blame on the search committee or the senior pastor candidate nor none involved. We looked to the Lord, we prayed to the Lord, we proclaimed our trust in him, we proclaimed his faithfulness. I left feeling that the Lord was glorified and that we as a body took a step closer to trusting the Lord in each new situation.
We were reminded we are God's people--who Christ "loved...and gave himself up for [us] to make [us] holy, cleansing [us] by the washing with water through the word, to present [us] to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Eph. 5:25-27). And his purpose cannot be thwarted (Is. 64:10; Eph. 1:11-12). We are not led by man, but by our Lord. He is the head of the church.
He is faithful.
"I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken" (Ps. 16:7-8).
"God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (Heb. 13:5-6).
We as a church have no Plan B. We go to God. He knows our paths and he is working for our good, although in ways we do not understand. Our leaders called us to humble ourselves, to seek him, to entrust ourselves to him, to pray, to seek him. He is FAITHFUL. He is using this time. He knows. We step out, knowing he knows where we go.
I pray we as a body seek him more. That we serve him in weakness, so that his power may tabernacle on us (2 Cor. 12:9-10). That we are one as a body through Him.
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 15:5-6).
We left with no more answers. But with all the answer--He is faithful. Our feelings of shock and uncertainty turned to praise and trust. This is worship. He is FAITHFUL.
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