God Is Enough

At our student ministry’s recent fall retreat, one simple moment stands out to me.

It was Saturday night, following the final session. We had planned a time of outdoor worship on the shore of the lake under the night sky.

We were scrambling to put together the final tech details, fastening together the outdoor screen, running power cords, and connecting A/V equipment. But for whatever reason, the projector would not connect with my laptop.

I tried several things. Nothing worked. People were arriving; the music was starting. There was nothing left to do. It wasn’t going to happen.

Mildly frustrated, I took a deep breath, shut my laptop, and entered the crowd hoping everyone would know the lyrics by heart. But as I entered the crowd, something happened to me. I felt free. For the first time that weekend, I was not a leader, not one of the guys responsible for the program, but simply a worshipper.

The air was perfectly cool. The night sky was clear, and the stars were bright. In the stillness, we sang praises to our God.

The simple beauty of that moment reminded me God is enough.

We didn’t need fancy equipment, flashy programs, or a whizzbang finish. We didn’t need any of that. No performance. No perfection. No complication. Just our voices under the starry sky, remembering the goodness and greatness of God.

If there’s one moment I wish I could wrap up and send home with every person at the retreat, it was that moment. That starry night when we all paused long enough to remember God is enough.
Back home the voices crowd in; the problems await. The worries and the wants resurface. But in that moment, none of that mattered because I knew God was enough. I think we all did.

I want to tell everyone there to remember that moment. When trials come, remember that moment. When life gets complicated, remember that moment. When hope wains, remember that moment. Cling to that moment! Remember when you knew God was enough, under those stars, in the stillness, in the simplicity. Remember that peace, remember that place, remember that story, and tell it to yourself again and again.

God is enough. God is all you need.