«For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth» (Job 19:25)
Jeremy and Melissa were very young when they met. They spent time dating, and eventually they were married. But shortly after that, Melissa was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and her life ended within six months. Jeremy Camp wrote this song after Melissa’s death. The message of steadfast faith that he expressed in the midst of his greatest tragedy shows us that all around the world, thousands of years after Job’s experience, we can still find people who declare their belief in God even in their most difficult hour.
As the lyrics say, in spite of our unanswered questions we can see how God works in the trials of life to prepare our hearts to receive His grace. We can say with the songwriter, «I still believe in Your faithfulness; I still believe in Your truth; I still believe in Your holy word; even when I don’t see, I still believe.»
The movie that tells his story was released in early 2020, and it shows us a reality that is very different from the way many young people and couples live today. In that Christian school, where students engage in healthy recreation and constructive friendships which are long-lasting and profound, we can see that the ideal that the world offers for today’s youth as far as having fun, having friends, and dating go is very much exploited by Hollywood, there are also young people who have the courage to live differently. There are young people who are capable of enormous sacrifices and unequaled, unconditional love.
The story of this young couple was a great testimony for thousands of people who heard it, and by means of Melissa’s unshakable faith and Jeremy’ s songwriting hobby, placed in the hands of God (whether we appreciate Jeremy’s musical style or not), this message of faith and resilience made its way through darkness to the light.
Sorry for ruining the ending of the movie for you if you haven’t seen it yet. But thanks to God and His Word, nothing can ruin the ending of the movie He has prepared about our lives. We already know how it ends. It will be glorious. In Jeremy’s words in another prayer song of his,
«There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more; we’ll see Jesus face to face. But until that day, we’ll hold on to you always.»
