Wednesday, August 31, 2022

By His Grace – Nah, I’m Good

August 31, 2022/in Week 4, Bible Study

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God gives us what we need, not what we want.

This can be a tough pill to swallow at times. There are plenty of times when we ask God for a new car … a nicer house … more money … (insert your want here). When life is going great, we have the tendency to become complacent in gratitude for the things that God has already given us.

I am reminded of when my dad passed away from cancer. I was so angry with God for taking him. I ran from the pain any way I could back then and, in turn, ran from God—just like Jonah did when he got on that ship to Tarshish.

I remember wanting to talk to my dad so badly after he was gone—to tell him about his new granddaughter and all the good things that were happening in my life. It caused me to suffer from depression for a few years, especially when it came to holidays and parties where my dad should have been included. I was sitting in that hot desert like Jonah—miserable and only thinking of myself—upset that I couldn’t have what I wanted.

If I hadn’t found CedarCreek and accepted Christ as my Savior, I would have never known God’s grace. In the oddest way, my dad’s death led me to Jesus, and he welcomed me with open arms.

Luke 15:22-24

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.”

My dad wasn’t a spiritual man, but he did accept Christ before he passed, and I know we will meet again. Even death can have purpose. I have come to realize that even as I ran from the pain (and God), God never stopped pursuing me. Lead Pastor Ben Snyder said, “You can’t go where God can’t reach you.” We can’t outrun God! No matter what we are facing in life, we shouldn’t run from God—we should run toward him because he is running after us, all the time.

I think my dad unintentionally lived out this week’s bottom line: rescued people, rescue people. My dad was rescued, and I was rescued through him. I accepted faith because of the huge impact his death had in my life.

God showed me grace even when I was rejecting him.

Ephesians 2:8

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Questions:

Have you ever been so mad at God you ran from him? Does the book of Jonah show you that even the most wicked can be redeemed through faith?

Next Steps:

Read the book of Jonah, and put yourself in the story in his place. Journal what it would have looked like if you were in the story. Enjoy the grace that God graciously gave you.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for your precious gift of grace. I don’t deserve it, but you give it to me anyway. Please allow me to show your grace through me and my actions. In Jesus’ name, amen.