By Kristen Entwistle

I rarely hear a new song on the Christian radio station that I listen to in the car.  It’s not that there aren’t new songs, but that there’s a pretty solid playlist that they cycle through.  But yesterday, I heard a new song – at least, new to me.

I don’t think I’m the only one who has been through difficult circumstances or been disappointed by life’s waves.  When things are going well and you get blindsided – by unforseen heartbreak, an unexpected diagnosis, the death of a loved one, the loss of an unborn child, rejection from a potential job, personal rejection by a friend – the list could go on and on.

When life’s waves hit me and knock me over, it’s just not that simple – to tell my heart to beat again.  But what I love is that this song doesn’t say is that I have to tell my heart to beat again right now.  Healing takes time.  But healing also takes a beating heart.

Let every heartbreak
And every scar
Be a picture that reminds you
Who has carried you this far
‘Cause love sees farther than you ever could
In this moment heaven’s working
Everything for your good

Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
Step into the light of grace
Yesterday’s a closing door
You don’t live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again

By Kristen Entwistle

The next two heroes that we come to in Hebrews 11 may be less familiar to you and me. They aren’t really stories that you’ll find in the children’s picture Bibles on your kids’ shelves, but the writer of Hebrews commends them for their faith.  Gideon’s and Barak’s stories both start the same way – with the Israelites again doing evil in the eyes of the Lord (Judges 4:1, 6:1).  It’s a fairly common occurrence in the Old Testament, actually. The Lord gives the Israelites chance after chance after chance to follow His law, but they keep messing it up – by worshipping other gods and disobeying direct commandments from God.

Take a look with me today, and see how these two men acted in the face of adversity, and why they were commended for their faith.

Download Chapter 10 now!

By Kristen Entwistle

He’s the God of every story,
He sees each tear that falls.
We may not understand but one thing is certain.
He is faithful, He’s a faithful God.

His ways are holier
Than we could ever comprehend.
When our world is shaking,
He holds us in the palm of His hand.

Do you ever feel like your life is crumbling around you, like the walls are caving in, like you are the only one in the world feeling the earthquake that is destroying your life?  Like the storms will never end, the waves never cease, the wind never still?  Like the words you sing on Sunday are infinitely far away on Monday?  Like God is millions of miles away when you’re struggling?

But sometimes we forget who is in the boat with us.

In our boat is the calmer of the waves, ceaser of the wind, Messiah.   In our boat is the one, true, faithful God.  In our boat is the One who formed us in our mother’s womb.  The One who knows the number of hairs on our heads.  The One who has gone before us, died for us, and lives for us.

He’s in our boat, and when it feels like it’s sinking, know that He is faithful to lift you up.  Perhaps your boat will sink.  But you will not drown.  Perhaps the winds will continue to howl for now.  But you will not be blown away.  Perhaps the steady leak will cause you to have to bail some water out.  But your boat will still float.

Because we have the Lord of Creation in our boat.

My boat certainly feels like it is sinking right now.  And it’s easy to forget that the Lord of Heaven and earth is in my boat.  But I’d rather sail the rough sees with Him than the calm waters without Him.  I may not understand it until I get to the other side of this life.  But He’s not going to let me sink, even though I am certainly not deserving of saving.

He is in my boat.  And He is the God of every story – the good, the bad, the ugly, the hard, the easy, the difficult, the seemingly insurmountable.  He is faithful in every stage of life, in every storm, in the calm and in the raging sea.  He is faithful, and I will forever trust Him.  He is faithful.

You’re the God of every story,
You see each tear that falls.
We may not understand but one thing is certain.
You are faithful, You are faithful.

You’re the God of every story,
No matter what I’m going through.
I may not understand, You are God and I am just a man.
Yeah I’m forever trusting in Your plan.
One thing is certain
You are faithful, You’re faithful God.