July 24, 2005
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Hey, everybody! Man, it’s S-T-E-A-M-Y and HOT in Michigan today!!!Being blessed with all KINDS of car problems right now…son has a broken wheel stabilizer, two daughters have brake problems, and the other daughter lost her ONLY copy of her car keys on Saturday (it still amazes me how many inconvenient things seem to happen between Friday evening and the start of business hours on Monday), all while I wait to fly to Colorado to pick up my car which was in an acccident last month when I lent it out. NOW who doesn’t believe that God is at work in the manner of Romans 5…
1 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Also through Him, we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Was talking with my oldest daughter today about something related to this very topic, which came to a focus for me in the awareness that I now respond very differently to some of these “life assaults” which come from time to time, than I did when I was in my 20s, or even my 30s or 40s. I notice a far greater ability (CERTAINLY not perfected, ‘though! ) to take it in perspective in many ways ….instead of stressing out or blowing up, or asking God, “What I am doing wrong?”, as I used to, I will respond, for example; “”Well, here comes another one of those ‘trial periods’; time to settle in to ride it out”, and, “Well, this is just how life seems to be from time to time ….sure will be glad not to have to go through this in eternity!”
I’m betting that this kind of perspective had a lot to do with Paul and Silas’s ability in Acts to be singing hymns, psalms, and worshiping God at midnight, while in shackles, in an inner cell of an almost certainly pitch-dark prison (torches, at best)!
I am so thankful that God sometimes allows us to SEE that we really ARE progressing toward the completion of the work He is doing in us.
God Bless You All Richly!!…..Jim
Comments (3)
Yes, we do grow in grace and truth as we continue to submit our lives to Christ. We sometimes fail, of course, but if our lives were to be taken on average, we would submit far more often than we don’t and over time, we are stretched and shaped and conformed into the image of God’s Son. I would also maintain that there are times in which God gives us special grace to endure as well: I would tend to think that while Paul and Silas certainly were growing in grace and wisdom on their spiritual journeys, they were also afforded an extra grace that comes during circumstances as dire as being shackled in a prison with no certainly of life or limb. Or take the martyr Stephen in the book of Acts: he face shone like an angel and he was able to forgive his murderers even as the rocks began to pulverize his skull. Yet I do not think he did that solely on his own.
My own experience has taught me the truth that God gives special grace during the most devastating circumstances, for as Paul learned, God’s grace is sufficient: in times when extra grace is needed, extra grace is afforded. I have known people who seemed to enjoy asking themselves hard questions to questionable profit: if someone pointed a gun to my head after killing several of my friends and demanded that I renounce Christ, would I have the courage to withstand? The simple answer is, “No, I would not have the courage to withstand” (or at least, knowing myself, it is highly unlikely that I would). However, it is not about my own courage to withstand, but rather about God’s promise to never give me more than I can bear. I could withstand the test that ended with a bullet shattering through my skull because in those moments a level of grace would flood over me in a very tangible way that would enable me to stand. So then, we both grow in grace in the so-called “small things” in life (though no less frazzling for all of that), but we are also at times given special provision as well to enable us to withstand the truly momentous challenges. For as we said a moment ago, Paul learned that in all things, God’s grace is sufficient.
I love those verses from Romans. They are very comforting to the soul.
My life, like that of so many others, has been and continues to be a testimony to the grace God gives us to withstand. Most likely, He gives us all such grace. Some see it, others do not. I believe that as we recognize, acknowledge, and offer gratitude for such grace, we are given more than simply grace to stand.