Hallelujah

Too many times I have recited in a rote way the word "Hallelujah."

What a fool I have been.

Over the past few years, during my time as a youth pastor I have had to counsel some students who have run into some pretty crappy situations in life. I am talking about seriously blowing it. When they come to me (or me to them) and they are broken, I had said the same thing. "Welcome to the world of adult Christianity."

What I mean by that is this: as children and teenagers we often adopt this watered-down idea of the Christian faith. God is God, but not really the God of the Bible. Sin is sin, but not really how sin is described in the Bible. Faith is faith, but not really the faith talked about in the Bible...getting the point yet? I had a student come to me who had totally messed up. This student was a great young adult: smart, fun, from a great family, served at church, etc. But this student got into a relationship that wasn't good for him/her and gave into sexual temptation and transgressed. Finally, when he/she came to the breaking point and became remorseful for the sin, I was able to come in and restore him/her. He/she couldn't explain the guilt, the hurt, the greif over the sin that was committed.

What's funny is that this student had grown up in church, sinned before, felt sorry for it, repented, and even felt forgiven. But at this point, this sin was way too big, way too huge, way too unforgivable.

Hallelujah.

Over the past month I have gone through one of the hardest trials in my life. I have felt beaten, broke down, alone, hopeless, deserted, and lost. What's worse is that I have preached, taught, and represented the faithfulness of God. But at the beginning of this trial I was at a place of faithlessness. I couldn't see the light up ahead.

I suppose I could beat myself up about how I sinned in not trusting God through it all. But that would be antiproductive because that would make this all about me. But its about Him.

Hallelujah.

I echo the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 2,

"10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

11Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
will also live with him;
12if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself."

God has held Heather and I through this trial. And though its not over, I have put my trust fully in Him, the one who remains faithful even if we are faithless.

Hallelujah

Amen