By Connor Lad
Leader 1:
Some days are amazing.
Some days are exhausting.
Some days we feel unstoppable.
Some days we wonder if anyone even notices us.
People:
Still, we rejoice, because God is good.
Leader 2:
The Psalmist tells us,
“God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.”
Not just when life is easy.
Not just when we’re winning.
Not just when everything goes according to plan.
People:
God is with us in every season.
Leader 1:
Though the earth gives way…
Though the mountains shake…
Though the waters roar…
People:
We will not fear, because the Lord is with us.
Leader 2:
Habakkuk imagined the worst:
No fruit on the trees.
No crops in the fields.
No food to eat.
No sign that tomorrow would be better.
Yet he said,
People:
“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”
Leader 1:
Not because everything was okay.
People:
But because God was still good.
Leader 2:
Our joy is not built on perfect grades,
perfect friendships,
perfect families,
or perfect futures.
People:
Our joy is built on the faithfulness of God.
Leader 1:
When we don’t make the team…
People:
God is still good.
Leader 2:
When we feel left out…
People:
God is still good.
Leader 1:
When we’re anxious about tomorrow…
People:
God is still good.
Leader 2:
When life doesn’t make sense…
People:
God is still good.
Leader 1:
And because God is good…
People:
We still have hope.
Leader 2:
God also says,
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Be still long enough to hear what God says about you.
You are not your mistakes.
You are not your fears.
You are not your popularity.
You are not your failures.
People:
We belong to God.
Leader 1:
Your life matters.
Not because you have all the answers.
Not because everyone knows your name.
Not because you have it all together.
Your life matters because the God of the universe knows your name…
People:
…and calls us beloved.
Leader 2:
Your life matters because Jesus gave His life for you.
People:
…and invites us to follow Him.
Leader 1:
Your life matters because the Holy Spirit lives within you.
People:
…and works through us.
Leader 2:
God has chosen to love this world through ordinary people.
Through students who show kindness.
Through friends who choose forgiveness.
Through people who stand up for what is right.
Through those who refuse to let hate have the last word.
People:
Lord, let Your love flow through us.
Leader 1:
Someone is waiting for encouragement.
People:
Let us be Your voice.
Leader 2:
Someone is waiting for compassion.
People:
Let us be Your hands.
Leader 1:
Someone is waiting to know they matter.
People:
Let us show them Your love.
Leader 2:
The Lord of Hosts is with us.
People:
We are never alone.
Leader 1:
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
People:
We are safe in God’s care.
Leader 2:
So today we choose joy.
Not because life is perfect.
Not because every problem is solved.
Not because we know what tomorrow holds.
People:
We rejoice because God is good.
Leader 1:
We rejoice because God is with us.
People:
We rejoice because we are loved.
Leader 2:
We rejoice because our lives matter.
All:
For God is our refuge and strength, and through His love, we will be a light to the world. Amen.