SWARTZ
CREEK MI – (ANS)- Unanswered prayer? It’s not the
same thing as God failing us. How can you know this? A mighty Book says so in
words, and an anonymous homeless man said so in song. both with amazing
clarity.

A message from my daughter, Heather
Shaw:

“What are your expectations for
your life?” our pastor asked the congregation this past Sunday as he
preached on the Book of James.

My husband and I began jotting down
some of our personal and family goals and dreams. The pastor then asked,
“Do you feel disappointed with God over dreams that haven’t turned out the
way you wanted them?” Our answer: Yes.

We’ve had a rough few years
involving having to sell our house at a loss; our son born prematurely; moving;
a job layoff; and a job for my husband that is not where his ultimate passion
lies, and which requires a long commute. We are strongly committed to our faith
and try to please God in all we do. We are driven people who have, in the past,
been able to dream something and make it happen. We have alternated between
feeling peaceful and trusting God, and feeling restless and angrily questioning
Him. We have prayed “Your will be done”… and we have prayed
“Are you there? Are you listening?”

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it
pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let
perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not
lacking anything.” This is a hard one. It is hard to be thankful for the
trials in the midst of them. It might be easier to look back, when things are
(you hope) in a better place. But when the storm is raging and you feel like
you’ve lost your footing, it can be hard to stay joyful.

In the Book of James, it says
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it
says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like
someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes
away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently
into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting
what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do”
(1:22-25, NIV).

We always thought about
“doing” the Word as assignments: God says to care for others; God
says to be generous, loving; etc. But Jesus calls us to something deeper
instead of merely a task-oriented faith. When we look into God’s Word, just
like looking into a mirror, we discover who we are.

The picture isn’t always pretty. We
are sinful creatures who fall short of God’s holy standard, incurring His
punishment. But the Good News is that Jesus loves us so much that He rescued us
and took our punishment for us by dying on the cross. When we “look
intently” into that truth, then nothing else will matter and no trial will
shake us because we will have the joy of knowing we have such a loving God who
saw our real need. Sure, we feel we have other needs — for example, for a job,
or food, or security. But our ultimate need was for a Savior… and Jesus
already met that need. This is true love and what Jesus offers us. Not just a
list of tasks to do.

The Bible can teach, pastors can preach, but sometimes this lesson can speak to
us the loudest and clearest from unexpected places. In 1971 a homeless man
understood this truth… and shared it in his own way.

English filmmaker Gavin Bryars was
working on a documentary about the homeless around London. One man of the many
captured on film sang a quiet chorus to himself over and over:

Jesus’ blood never failed me yet,
never failed me yet.
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet.
This one thing I know, For He loves me so.

This actually was not used in the
film, but it haunted Bryars, who eventually added an accompaniment to the man’s
simple song, extended it, and turned it into a recording. many people have
since heard it — Tom Waits and Jars of Clay have made recordings too — and it
has touched millions.

This is powerful! This man had
nothing that we might consider worth singing about. Contemporary Christians
often spend more time focused on “worldly” desires than spiritual
needs. That’s not to say we shouldn’t be concerned about our life’s details or
to pray about them, but what would happen to our daily lives if we were to come
back to a focus on what really matters: our salvation?

Whatever other trials this
anonymous, forgotten man faced, he looked in the “mirror,” recognized
his true need for a Savior, and proclaimed that to others, where he was, in the
way that he could.

I haven’t been able to get this song
out of my head all week! This simple, quiet, musical prayer, reminds us that
absolutely nothing is more important than Jesus’ gift of salvation that he gave
us when He died on the cross. That’s all. The economy may have failed us, but
His blood hasn’t. Employers may have failed us, but His blood hasn’t. Health
may have failed us, but His blood hasn’t. Our own plans may have failed us, but
His blood hasn’t. He loves us so.

I thank Heather for sharing this
message, and this song. It is impossible, I think, not to hear it once and not
want to listen again, and again. Its truth becomes stronger. “Poor
homeless man?” No, he was rich in the knowledge and understanding that he
was a son of Jesus our King. Knowing the Truth, and rejoicing in it: a simple
task, after all.

Click: Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet

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About Rick Marschall

Rick Marschall is the author of more than 60 books and hundreds of
magazine articles in many fields, from popular culture (Bostonia
Magazine called him “perhaps America’s foremost authority on popular
culture”) to history and criticism; country music, television history,
biography and children’s books. He is a former political cartoonist,
editor of Marvel Comics, and writer for Disney comics. For 10 years he
has been active in the Christian field, writing devotionals;
co-authoring The Secret Revealed with Dr Jim Garlow; and writing a
biography of Johann Sebastian Bach for the “Christian Encounters”
series to be published by Thomas Nelson (2011). Rick is a former
Director of Product Development for Youth Specialties. He is recipient
of the 2008 “Christian Writer of the Year” award from the Greater
Philadelphia Writer’s Conference, and produces a weekly e-mail
devotional, “Monday Morning Music Ministry.” His e-mail address is: AmericaCiv@aol.com.

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