Category: Miscellaneous

God Has Been Gracious

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous1 Comment

I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant. – Genesis 32:10

God has dealt graciously with me. – Genesis 33:11

…the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.  – Genesis 35:3

This is Jacob’s testimony. 
Looking at his life, it is clear Jacob was not worthy,
and yet God dealt graciously with him.

Is this not our testimony as well?
Looking at our lives, we are not worthy either,
but God has dealt graciously with us.

He showers us with his steadfast love.
He remains faithful to us.
He answers our prayers.
He is always with us.

Sure, we will have difficult days.  Jacob did too.
And yet we can see God’s grace in the trials
as well as in the blessings.

Truly, God has dealt graciously with us!

I Am Not Worthy

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

God promised to be with Jacob as he went to this mother’s family.  And God was with him.  God blessed him with a family and great wealth.  But he didn’t deserve any of it.  Jacob himself recognizes this.  He tells God, “I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to you servant” (Genesis 32:10). 

He says he wasn’t worthy of the smallest act of God’s love, the smallest blessing from God’s hand.  And indeed he wasn’t.  For Jacob was a perpetual liar.  He was a terrible husband and father.  And he showed a remarkable lack of trust in the Lord.  He didn’t deserve God’s blessings.  He didn’t deserve God’s love.  But God loved him not because he was lovable, but because God is love.

Jacob is much like us.  We all fail in countless ways.  We too are sinners.  We too are unworthy of God’s love, God’s faithfulness, God’s blessings.  And yet God loves us.  God blesses us.  Not because we are lovable, but because God is love. 

Our greatest need is to recognize with Jacob that we are unworthy.  We need to see that God’s blessings flow, not because of what we do, but because of who God is and what he has done.  It is too easy for us once we begin the Christian life to think that it is all about our performance, about what we do.  And so we gravitate between despair when we fail and pride when we do well. 

And yet even our best deeds are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).  Nothing we do impresses God.  Even at our best, we are unworthy.  Whatever good we accomplish is due to God’s grace and the Spirit’s working in our lives.  We have no reason for pride. 

And when we fail, we need not despair.  Though unworthy, God will still show his love to us.  By his grace, God will freely forgive our every sin. 

The truth is that we, like Jacob, are unworthy of God’s love all of the time.  But God still pours out his love upon us like he did upon Jacob.

Father, help us to see our own unworthiness, and be amazed more and more at your unconditional love toward us through Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Examples of Grace 12

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

I Samuel continues the theme of grace.

Hannah prays for a son.  God graciously gives her one.  How many times have we prayed, and God has granted our request?  We are unworthy, we constantly fail the Lord, yet he answers our prayers.  This is grace.

Throughout the book, we see God’s gracious deliverance.  The Lord delivers Israel from the Philistines.  The Lord delivers David from Saul.  How many times has God delivered us – from sickness, from trials, from danger?  This is grace.

Nabal offends David.  David prepares to take vengeance.  But God uses Abigail to stop him.  He was about to sin, but God kept him from it.  How many times has God kept us from sinning?  Keeping a temptation from us.  Removing a temptation.  Giving us strength to overcome.  This too is grace.

Let us glory in the wonderful grace of God!

Examples of Grace 11

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

The book of Ruth is short, but gives some great examples of grace.

Ruth is a foreigner, apart from the people of Israel, apart from God.  Yet God graciously makes her part of his people, even including her as an ancestor of Jesus. She finds refuge in God.  In the same way, Peter tells us once we were not among God’s people, but now we are God’s people (2:9-10).  In Christ we have a relationship with God.  Ruth didn’t deserve it; neither do we.  But God made us his people and drew us to himself – that’s grace.

There is also the picture of the kinsman redeemer.  Boaz is a kinsman redeemer for Ruth – marrying her and providing for her.  Jesus is our kinsman redeemer – we are the bride of Christ, and he provides for us not only our daily needs but salvation as well.  Again, we don’t deserve this – it’s all grace.

Examples of Grace 10

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

The book of Judges gives us a repeated example of grace.  The people rebel against God, and so God sends judgment.  Finally, the people call out for help.  God could have let them continue to suffer the results of their sin.  He could have let the enemy continue to dominate them.  Instead, God shows his grace.  He raises up judges through whom he rescues his people.  God sends deliverance.  Likewise we too have rebelled against God and deserve only judgment.  But if we cry out to him, God will send us deliverance.  He has raised up Jesus to rescue us from our sin and the devil.  We don’t deserve it, but God sends his grace.

Examples of Grace 09

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

The book of Joshua continues to show forth the grace of God.

God showed his grace to Joshua by promising that he would be with Joshua wherever he went.  God would not leave him or forsake him.    This indeed is grace, and we know that it is true for us as well.  Jesus promised to be with us always to the end of the age.  So whatever we face, we need not fear or be dismayed.  We can be strong and courageous for God is with us!

God also showed his grace to Rahab.  As one of the Canaanites, she was to be wiped out, but God showed her grace, sparing her life.  She even is found in the genealogy of David and Jesus.  We too deserve only judgment, but God has poured out his grace upon us through Jesus, making us part of his family.

God showed his grace to Israel by bringing them into the Promised Land.  And he will one day show his grace to us by bringing us to a new Promised Land – the new heaven and earth where there will be no more suffering, pain, sin, or death.  In Jesus, truly we have been given grace upon grace.

Examples of Grace 08

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

Deuteronomy is Moses’ review of Israel’s history and God’s commands for the generation about to enter the Promised Land.  In this book, there are some wonderful examples of grace.

God is a great God who is near to Israel and hears them when they call upon him (4:7).  In the same way, God is near to us today.  By his Spirit, he is present with us always.  No matter what we face, God is with us.  And he hears us when we pray.  He is not to busy to listen to our cares.  And as a great God he has the power to answer our prayers.  Yet as sinners we do not deserve his presence or his listening ear.  That he gives us both is all grace.

God delivered the people from slavery in Egypt (5:6).  In the same way, God has delivered us from slavery to sin.  Once we were in bondage to sin, but now we are free to live for Christ.  Again we did not deserve this, but he has poured out his grace upon us.

God chose Israel to be his treasured possession – not because they were great, but simply because God chose to love them (7:6-8).  They were not lovable (indeed they were repeatedly rebellious), but God chose to love them.  In the same way, while we were still sinners, God loved us, and saved us, and chose us as his treasured people (Romans 5:8, I Peter 2:9-10).  Ponder what it means to be chosen as God’s treasured people!  Grace.

God promised the people that another prophet like Moses would come (18:15-19).  And so he has come – our Lord Jesus Christ who revealed to us the way of God.  Where would we be without Christ?  Lost forever.  But he did come – and that is grace.

Finally, God gave the people good things for them to enjoy (26:11).  And so he showers good things upon us to enjoy.  That is grace.

And how should we respond?  “…worship before the Lord your God.  And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you…” (26:10-11).  As we ponder God’s amazing grace, let us rejoice and worship the Lord today!

Examples of Grace 07

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous1 Comment

As I continue to trace God’s grace through the Bible, let me share a couple of examples from the book of Numbers.

Israel rebels against God by refusing to enter the Promised Land.  God could have wiped them out then and there, indeed he threatens to do it.  But Moses intercedes, and God spares them. How many times do we rebel against God?  How often do we sin?  How often do we fail to do what God calls us to do?  Yet through Christ God forgives and spares us again and again.  That’s grace.

Not only does God spare them, but he chooses to bless them.  Balaam is hired by Israel’s enemy to curse Israel.  Instead God requires Balaam to bless his people.  God teaches Aaron and his sons a blessing to say for the people of Israel, and the people will be blessed.  In how many ways does God bless us as his people today?  As the songs tells us – count your many blessings!  Every blessing we receive – that’s grace!

Examples of Grace 06

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

One might not think of Leviticus as a book about grace, but it is.

The first third of the book deals with sacrifices – sacrifices to atone for sins and have fellowship with God.  God did not need to provide a way for them to deal with their sins and have a relationship with him, but he did.  That’s grace.  In the same way he has provided Jesus to atone for our sins once for all that we might have fellowship with God.  That’s grace.

God promises to be with the people.  Not only that but they will be his people.  What great privileges!  Through Christ we are made his people, and he dwells with us.  That’s grace.

Leviticus also deals with numerous laws to protect and help the poor and needy.  God cared about the weak, and still does today.  That’s grace.

Sins forgiven.  Fellowship with God.  His people.  His presence.  His care.  Grace….

(Taken from Leviticus)

Gospel Shaped Suffering 4

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

How should the gospel shape our suffering?  We have looked at six ways already.  Let’s look at two final ways today.

Bearing Witness to Christ (Evangelism)

We receive the gospel by faith, but how will people hear the gospel unless we bear witness to Christ?  Suffering offers us a powerful platform to share the work of Christ in our lives.  Several people in my church have shared how they have had opportunities to tell others about Christ in the midst of their suffering.  There are records from the early church of people who witnessed the suffering and death of Christian martyrs and were saved as a result.  Courage, trust, and hope in trials leaves a lasting impression, a strong witness for Christ.  In fact, sometimes are suffering is for the purpose of bearing witness.  Jesus told his disciples that they would be taken to court, flogged, and dragged before rulers for his sake, “to bear witness before them” (Matthew 10:17-18).  Using our suffering as an opportunity to bear witness to Christ is gospel shaped sufferings.

Counting All as Loss for the Treasure of Christ (Worship)

The gospel is spread through evangelism and received by faith, but what is the goal of the gospel?  The goal is worship.  As John Piper writes in his book on missions, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”  We were created to glorify God, but we all sin and fall short of his glory (Romans 3:23).  The gospel exists to save us from our sins and change us back into worshippers who glorify God, worshippers who love God and serve God, who treasure God above all else.

Worshippers like Paul.  In Philippians 3:7-11, Paul says he suffers the loss of all things for Christ.  What is suffering?  Often it is loss – loss of heath, loss of a loved one, loss of comfort, loss of a relationship, loss of a dream.  Paul says he suffer the loss of all things, counts it all as loss.  Why?  Because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus.  He will share in the sufferings of Christ because what he wants most of all is Christ.  Gospel shaped suffering means we are willing to suffer loss because in Christ we have the greatest treasure of all.

What is gospel shaped suffering? It is:

  • Following the path of Christ
  • Becoming more like Christ
  • Resting in the love of Christ
  • Rejoicing in the hope of Christ
  • Trusting God like Christ
  • Comforting others in Christ
  • Bearing witness to Christ
  • Counting all as loss for the treasure of Christ

May God help us suffer in this way for his glory.