The Journey of Grace: A Testimony of Divine Provision

Discovering God's Unconditional Love in Triumph and Struggle

Nov 28, 2024

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Colossians 3:17.

I am so grateful to God for all He is, all He does, and all He has done in our lives. The saying is that “God is good all the time; God is good.” Through Cancer, COVID-19, and the Chaos of my life, I still believe that God is always good. I am so thankful for His love, my relationship with Him as His child, His direction, and His provision for all of my life.

Salvation

Today, I want to thank God for saving me through His grace and faith, which, thankfully, is not based on my good works. God loves me not based on righteousness or goodness, but according to His mercy. He gave me eternal life and eternal redemption. I do not have to live a "hope so" life but a life of being saved and His to the very end. There are no limits to His unconditional love.

The Privilege of Serving

God has allowed me to teach and preach His Word for over 55 years. I love the Bible and the privilege of teaching the Word of God. I love the church and God's people. What a joy to tell people about my Father, my Daddy, the One who loves me when I do not deserve it. I get to say to them that God loves them and they can have the same relationship with God.

I love being married, being a dad, and being a granddad. God has blessed me with the opportunity to serve Him alongside my family. I love giving to the cause of Christ.

Since I was a young boy, I only wanted to teach and preach the Bible. I was fearful, but it was the dream of my life, and God allowed it to happen.

I know God will never forget the slightest thing we have done for His cause.

Suffering

I look back over my life and realize that I have been through some pretty rough patches, and I thank God for them. I know God worked in my life at every stage, growing me, making me like Jesus, and preparing me for further service.

My parents raised me in a home where they taught me to work, fend for myself, deal with problems, and be independent. I am thankful that God placed me in a family that would prepare me for all that would come.

I had to work in college to pay the bills and care for my family. I am thankful for that.

I rarely got paid a sufficient salary, but God always worked in our lives to provide us with what we needed.

Dealing with upset, angry church members was excellent for me. It grew me.

Deputation, language school, and living by faith that God would provide were good for me.

Disappointment, Cancer, Covid, and even the chaos of my life have been good. That the cancer is back, and I deal with all of it. God is still good.

Provision

Over the years, God has supplied all that we have needed. God has not always given me what I wanted but has met our needs. Since Betty found out we were pregnant with Chris and had no way to pay until today, God has met the need.

I remember one day in Peru, longing for more space around my house like the farm boy I was. Driving through that part of the city, I noticed the large lots, between half an acre and a full acre. I told Betty maybe someday God would give us something like that, but I knew we could never afford it. The very next house we lived in was in that area.

Promises

I am so thankful for the promises. Tomorrow is a bright, sunshiny day because my future is as bright as God's promises. He will take care of us tomorrow. God will keep us saved. He will still answer prayer. Heaven is ours. He loves us no matter how many times we fail.

Conclusion

Join me in considering how good God is. Be thankful. Express your thanks. Take time to count your many blessings. What the Lord has done will surprise you.