I’ve just started a new devotional I was shipped to preview called, Grace Notes. It’s composed of devotions written by Philip Yancey and draws on the numerous works he’s written throughout an incredible career. He’s a man with an understanding of grace that always grabs my attention. In this series, I want to share with you some of his thoughts on grace and where they take me. So in this new series, I hope you enjoy the chance to walk along with me as we delve into God’s amazing grace.
The first devotion, or the one that came up for me today actually (the first I’m sharing with you), is actually about some of his experience with communism. He speaks about a problem within the Marxist system such that they try to inspire people to self sacrifice and good works and yet tell people that there is no God, that material and material existence is all that there is to life. They take the motor and motivation out.
I find that all interesting, but there’s actually kind of a different angle in all of this than Yancey intends that seemed to be moving me this morning. Thinking about the communist movement and what he says about it makes me think about God watching over history and movings of mankind. Think of all the straining in those places in the world. Countries, peoples, and individuals straining so hard against God. And yet, this morning I was reading from my regular devotional and this is what it said, “But the mountain falls and crumbles away, and the rock is removed from it’s place; the waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth, so thou destroyest the hope of man. Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passes;” (Job 14)
Maybe this doesn’t sound so inspiring to you. But think about the grace involved in this. As man seeks to go in its own direction, God watches from above and he will slowly work on man to move things in the direction he wants. Just as he works on mountains, stone, and soil, God will slowly change this world and he will accomplish his will.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I’m frustrated when I watch the world. Sometimes it’s the political realm. Sometimes it’s people or situations in my life. I think I have the right answer and I’m frustrated when others don’t get it. Maybe I’m right. Maybe I’m not. But what these words of Scripture tell me, and what Yancey got me to start thinking about is that even when people try to move away from God, he will continue to wear on them and the world so that he will produce what he wants. It may take time, but God understands time.
Just take a minute, look at the picture at the top of the post. Think about the time it took God to move the elements to make this. Think about the world and your life. And pray to him for the patience to wait on his timing. Remember that he is a grace-filled God, patient with the world and you, but always moving things in his direction.
