08-16-15 Why We Can Believe the Bible (Guest Speaker Floyd Huebner)

Okay, technically, I haven’t been at First Covenant for the past two weeks (because we’ve been on vacation), so I can’t really give you too much of an Update on what’s been going on here.  I know that the Teen Challenge guys came on the 9th and shared about how God has impacted men who are working through drug and alcohol addictions, and I know that Floyd Huebner spoke on the 16th about the Gideons and their ministry of sharing the Bible with people around the world -- so check out their websites for more information about those ministries.

But I did want to share just a smidgey bit about the emotional ups and downs of our vacation time as a family. 

First off, we dropped Megan off at Illinois State University last Thursday to start her freshman year of college, and that was emotional as can be.  It was also a long day because hundreds of students were moving in at the same time, and she’s on the 23rd floor of her dorm.  We waited in line for the elevator for nearly two full hours...

But then we picked Megan back up on Saturday to go to the wedding of my cousin, Tim, and his new bride, Bobbi.  That was a blessing in so many ways -- not the least of which was because several years ago, Bobbi was involved in an auto accident that nearly took her life.  God was phenomenally gracious, not only in saving her life that day, but in being there with her and walking with her as she recovered from her injuries... bringing her through to such a wonderful, joyous day (though we couldn’t stay for the reception, since Megan had caught a nasty cold from her new roommate).

That same day, my father’s horse, “King Mufasa,” raced at the State Fair in Springfield.  Now, that may not seem like a big deal to many of you reading this, but a little over a year ago, Mufasa was also involved in an auto accident that nearly took his life.  He was trapped for hours in the mangled metal wreckage of his horse trailer, bleeding from countless wounds, and they had to cut him out with torches.  He wasn’t expected to live, but the excellent staff at the Purdue University Large Animal Hospital nursed him through intensive care and saved his life.  Most people thought that he wouldn’t survive, and almost nobody thought that he would ever be able to trot again... but Mufasa kept growing stronger and he wanted to race again.  In 2013, Mufasa had been named “Harness Horse of the Year” here in Illinois.  In 2014, he was bleeding to death by the side of the road.  In 2015, he won his race easily (only a second off of his own record time), and the crowd gave him a standing ovation as he entered the home stretch.

I share all this to give God praise, but also to remind each and every one of us that nothing is a foregone conclusion.  With God, all things are possible, and none of us should lose hope.  No matter what your circumstances, it’s never too late for God to work a miracle in your life.  Hey, for that matter, He helped me finally publish my first novel this week, so ain’t none of us a lost cause...

No, I can’t guarantee that God will give you everything that you hope that He will -- but I can guarantee that God will give you everything that you need, and that He can provide you with far more than you or I could ever dream possible.  So take a deep breath, trust God, and hold on.

God is good, all of the time...