A Candle in the Rain - Disciples Path Ministry
Disciples Path Ministry
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Candles in the Rain?
Isn't "time" a profound mystery? It's almost everything, yet nothing really. It is something mankind measures his life with but something quite different, I believe, to all the other life forms on earth.Isn't "change" a profound mystery? It changes even when it doesn't. It's something we all can look forward to (as in inevitable) yet we find it can be so hard to accept. Many will do nearly all in their power to circumvent and/or deny change.
Isn't the "future" a profound mystery? When we mix time and change we are presented with a future. A plausible definition of future is, "The events that will happen after the present time" (Merriam-Webster). If one has an untroubled heart, mind, and soul, I presume the need to prepare for the future would not be necessary. But for the rest of us, I can't help but wonder about how to know if one has gathered all that is required for the future.
The singer Melanie once sang a song titled (Lay Down) Candles in the Rain. Though she undoubtedly had her own personal reasoning for the lyrics the song resonates with so many on so many levels of thought and interpretation. Upon hearing the song for the first time I was immediately drawn to the "idea" of candles in the rain. I found, and to this day find, the idea of candles in the rain possible, plausible, inspiring and absolutely necessary with regard to faith and belief. Yes, I do make a distinction between faith and belief. From the New King James Version we read, "So Jesus said to them, 'Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you'" (Matt. 17:20, NKJV). Unbelief holds us back, not a lack of faith. I want to unpack that last sentence some.
A simple search on the word belief explains that a belief is an opinion or judgment in which a person is fully persuaded. Time can easily change a belief because time allows us to gain more knowledge/experience which alters a belief. Now faith includes belief. Faith is so much more than belief because faith requires action on your part. I am reminded of the Apostle James where he says that unless faith produces action it is no faith at all because it is dead. Scripture records the Apostle James as saying, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:17, NKJV). As followers of Christ Jesus, we seem to spend far too much time trying to increase our faith when Christ Jesus clearly informs us that our faith is not really the problem. Our problem is unbelief and not a lack of faith. How does this all relate to candles in the rain? Simple...true Christians will hold their candle in the rain. Unbelief holds us back, not a lack of faith.
Disciples Path Ministry - St. Augustine, Florida
U.S.A.