Insufficient Evidence...

or so it seems.



This morning when I came to my computer to open my daily Harvest devotion I was a little confused when no daily scripture popped up. That's normal for Saturday, but not any other day of the week. In the place of the scripture was a tribute to Greg Laurie's son who was killed yesterday in a car accident.

Not so very long ago we heard of the tragic death of Maria Sue Chapman, daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman.

Just last Friday I was remembering my were abouts a year-ago to the day. Several of us had traveled from Wellford to Charleston to be with our dear friend Susan, Steve and their boys. Many of us had believed with all the faith we had that God was going to do this great healing miracle in Steve Dyar. Even after Steve had passed on over into glory, we were believing he would open those eyes again. After all, who better that Steve Dyar, right?

When all these tragedies are occurring to the most faithful of the faithful... where is God?

Is there sufficient evidence of His presence?

Many would say no. That the evidence of God's presence was insufficient, and thus turn away in anger, depression and for some maybe even hatred.

One of the scriptures that I have come to love is

I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the
LORD in the
land of the living.
Psalm 27:13

I understood what that meant a little better after Steve changed his residence. It seems as God is telling us that the goodness would be for us to get it "our way". But the true goodness comes in when we allow God's graces and truths to penetrate the marrow of our being in those most difficult times.

I knew that there was sufficient evidence as we came to realize that Steve's earthly life had ceased. When Susan Dyar said with a strong confidence to all of us in that room that day, especially to her sons, that we do not grieve as those with no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Then she ever so soundly said "hand me my Bible". I cannot tell you the verses she read. I do know it was one of those incomparable moments that I will forever hold dear in my heart. That room was pretty crowded with friends and family. I don't think one of us would say "where was God?". It was more than evident that He was there.

I imagine it was the same for the Chapman family and is also true of the Laurie family.

It is my prayer for you that no matter what has happened to you that you will allow the presence of God to invade your heart and bring you wholeness and healing. Your enemy has lied and is lying to you now. He is saying that it's not possible in your case.

He is kind of like an attorney who knows his client is guilty of all the crimes he is charged with. He is the one saying that there is insufficient evidence of God's presence in your hard times, knowing all the time that God was there.

Dive into God's Word; listen to those who have experienced His presence in times of trouble. Seek God with your whole heart and do not hold back. Be crazy in love with the one who knows you better than you know yourself.

One of the best parts of my life whether in good times or bad is my prayer group. We started out calling ourselves "The Women at the Well" because we were so desperate to see God move. We have changed faces and places as the years have come and gone. We saw our beloved sister Denise pass over into glory. We have grown from one prayer group to many. The thing we have carried with us is our belief in God's ability to be who He says He is and that H can and will do what He has said He will do. It doesn't always look like we think it will. But His Glory takes our breath each and every day.

We hope to always be found guilty of believing Him to be our everything.

Who knows... you may end wearing crazy homemade jewelry out in public just like us!