God's grace manifests itself in many ways. We know
that God's love and forgiveness are instances of His grace, i.e.
"unmerited favor". In and of
ourselves, we do not deserve these things. In Romans 3:23, Paul writes, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God." However, Paul continues in Romans 5:8,
"While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us." and in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord." This is huge!
I believe God also demonstrates His grace in many
small ways in our lives. We can see them if we will look with open eyes, open
minds and open hearts. Let me share just one small illustration that happened
to Peggy and me just this morning.
We were sitting at her computer when suddenly we heard
a great rushing sound. I followed the sound to discover that the commode water
supply line had broken and water was gushing on to the bathroom floor and in
less than thirty seconds started to move into the hall and onto its hardwood
floors. I immediately turned off the valve and stopped the flow. Peggy
retrieved a handful towels and mopped up the water from the hall and bathroom
floors. As a result, there was no damage to the hall floor.
Here is where I
feel God's grace showed itself to Peggy and me. In another 20 minutes both
Peggy and I would have left the house and been gone for most of the morning. The
water would have resulted considerable damage. Additionally, if my neighbor had
not given me the tip to turn off the water at the water meter at the street,
this could have happened recently when we were out of town for a substantial
time and this would have caused even greater damage to our home.
Now, you may think these occurrences were just
happenstance. I happen to think otherwise. I feel that God is intimately
involved in our lives. I Peter 5:7 ends with this phrase, "for you are His (God's) personal concern."
Experiences like the one I have just
shared reinforce this belief and trust. You might wonder, "Does God
micromanage our lives, really?" In
some ways, yes, I think He does. I think He allows things to happen in just
such a way as to demonstrate His loving care for us, even in the small things
in life. Now, I am not saying, for instance, God opened up that parking space
right by the door to the store for me, although He certainly could, nor am I
saying that bad things never happen to us, but I do think He acts in ways that
communicates His love and concern even in our difficulties. I also believe He gives
us the little gifts of grace and love along the way if we will but recognize
them as such.
Tell me, what kind of God would you prefer? Would you
want a God who sets the world in motion and then goes about His other business,
much too busy to be bothered by the petty issues of your life? Or, would you want a God who knows you
intimately, who cares for you deeply, and always wants the best for you?
Net Work News
and Needs
Our
Friday Morning Men's Group held our Fall Retreat
Oct.
3-5. One of our members hosted the event
at his farm in central Georgia. Eight men attended. We discussed the Old Testament prophecies
about Jesus, centered on Isaiah 53. We
enjoyed riding four wheelers, shooting skeet, watching football and enjoying
great meals together as well as times of getting to know each other better.
Our
Friday Morning Men's Group has been discussing Dr. Ben Carson's book, "One
Nation". It has provoked some
spirited discussions.
I
continue to minister to men on an individual basis for counsel and
encouragement dealing with issues such as marriage and family issues and
spiritual growth.
Thank
you for making all this possible with your prayers and financial support.