The words in the title of this post are words from a song by Steven Curtis Chapman, as well they make up one of the most simple and yet most profound theological truths known to man.

It was in a moment of deep despair that these words struck deep to my heart.  It was about 3 and a half weeks after my mother had passed away unexpectedly.  Joanne, the girls and I were in Oregon and I was spending every waking moment preparing my mother’s house for sale.  This was a big project that could have been featured on an episode of “Flip This House”.  After three solid weeks of extreme home makeover I hit the wall.  Hands bloody from trying to scrape 3 layers of linoleum off of the kitchen floor and becoming more and more aware of the fact that I was in way over my head I got in my mother’s car and drove away.  I drove the old country highway that I used to drive as a young man when struggling.  As I drove I cried out to God for help and then just as those words came off my lips the words of this song came on the radio.

A we begin our journey through “The Story” over the next year at LFC it is good to be reminded at the outset that all things in this universe are under God’s masterful plan. Creation of all things comes from Him and in and through Him they are held together.  In Him alone can we find hope, purpose, healing and redemption.  That is why we have been given the Bible, to tell us of a creative God who now seek to redeem all things at the greatest cost, His own life.

Over the next 10 months I will seek to blog a few times a week to add further thought to our study of “The Story:  The Bible as One Continuous Story of God and His People.” I hope you will check back and keep up with the thoughts.

Here are the lyrics for the song “God is God and I Am Not.  I hope you enjoy them:

And the pain falls like a curtain
On the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most
I just don’t know

And the questions without answers
Come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move
Afraid to fall, oh, but fall I must
On this truth that my life has been formed from the dust

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God

And the sky begins to thunder
And I’m filled with awe and wonder
‘Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I

Can I form a single mountain
Take the stars in hand and count them
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass

Oh, how great are the riches of His wisdom and knowledge
How unsearchable for to Him and through
Him and from Him are all things

So let us worship before the throne
Of the One who is worthy of worship alone.