by Pastor Sharon Ortiz, Pastor of Education
This past Sunday, as we sang, “The Goodness of God” together as a congregation, I couldn’t help but think of a dear friend of mine and the tragic year she has had. She has suffered unimaginable loss, and thinking about the words to this song from her perspective made them truly difficult to sing. How does one say, “All my life you have been faithful,” when suffering the kind of loss she has? How can you see His goodness “running after me” after a year of pain and heartbreak? All I could do was weep on her behalf.
It is a place where the rubber meets the road in terms of working out our faith. We may know that God is able; but He doesn’t always grant us the healing we desire. We know that He is good; but He doesn’t always deliver us from hardships in the way that we wish He would. When the answer is “No,” or harder yet, when it is silence, are we still able to declare the goodness of God?
Then came the saving grace: “...With every breath that I am able…”
See, we aren’t always able to praise. Yes, He is always worthy of it, but if we are being real, there will be times when we know that God is good, but we can’t feel that He is. There will be times when we are so utterly broken and hurting that we can’t even “fake the funk.” Here’s the beauty of it—we don’t have to. If you are not able to now, God can handle it. He can handle your hurt and your disappointment. He can handle your anger, and He can even handle your lack of faith. The truth is that despite what you feel, what you know or don’t know, He, and His goodness, are and will always be running after you.
Give Him what you are able to today, and He will honor it. It may not be as much as you were able to give yesterday, and it might be more than what you can give tomorrow, but as you are able, give your burdens, your sorrows, your joys and your hopes to the Lord. Those are all precious offerings. Give Him your tears if you must. Give Him your dreams. Give Him your disappointments. If all you are able to give Him is a breath, give it to Him today; for we serve a High Priest who can truly sympathize with us in our weakness (Heb. 4:15). We are loved by a good God who cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7). In those times of brokenness when words fail us, we have a Spirit who personally intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26). Give Him what you are able, as a pleasing sacrifice, and may He breathe new life into your spirit today.