The Light of Goodness and Grace

Miraculous Grace 

 

When the Bible says in Romans 12 that “…In doing so you will heap burning coals on his head…” the last thing that comes to my mind is goodness and grace. When we look at the rest of the verse however, the words grace and goodness can sum up the meaning accurately. 

The Lord these past few weeks has been revealing to me His goodness in the light of this verse. In all honesty sometimes it fails to make sense in my mind. In all my worldly knowledge and wisdom of justice and equity the goodness of the Lord just doesn’t make sense. The book of Psalms says that “You are good and your love/mercy endures forever,” and I believe that this is true. What I did not realize was that underneath the superficial context we can tend to carry when we read this verse, there is action and depth and the movement of the Holy Spirit. 

I must make a confession. Although I have believed this (Romans 12:20) for as long as I can remember, I have failed miserably to live with the confidence that there is truth and power within those words. Every time I judge, and every time I withhold the forgiveness and mercy that we do not deserve, yet are commanded to extend also to others. 

The Lord is good, and He delights in extending His mercy. (Micah 7:18-20) 

I have come to see the goodness of God through others – through His blessing of the brothers and sisters around me. My friends and I have been blessed to see the Lord by the Spirit do miracles, heal injuries, and bless people abundantly through answered prayers. Even amidst the supernatural that doctors and even physicists would say is beyond the thinkable realm of possible, I had the audacity to ask, “God are you good? Is this really fair? Why this; why here and now?” 

The answers are yes, and the truth is I was asking the wrong question all along. The question with the simple yet more difficult answer to say is this: 

     “Is it good for me to be so angry? (Jonah 4) Why is it that I choose to harbor resentment when the Lord blesses a brother to my right and left but not me? Why am I bitter that He be so generous?” In all my worldly wisdom and knowledge I was jealous that the Lord extended such miraculous mercies to those who don’t even call on His name because it didn’t seem fair. It didn’t seem just. It didn’t seem disciplined enough, but who am I to say that the Lord is unjust in His mercies when vengeance is His? 

2 Peter 3:9 says that the Lord is patient with us because He doesn’t want any more to be lost. Who am I to question His goodness when He chooses to bless those for whom Jesus is patiently waiting? Does it not also say that He is being patient with *us* and not “them”? 

I want to conclude this section appropriately, so without further hesitation, might I be one of the many to say that THE LORD IS GOOD! I will celebrate in the light of His glorious goodness and grace, because although it might not be fair in the eyes of a jury or the mind of a judge, it is a gift that comes freely that should be freely received as well. I will worship all the more releasing my bitterness before approaching the altar (Matthew 5:24) and walking into freedom by carrying the mind and will of christ instead of my own. 

At one time, Jesus healed 10 lepers. Was it not the samaritan, deemed evil by jewish society, that returned to Him and bowed in reverence and gratitude for what Jesus had done? He desires that all be made clean; that all be shown mercy. Should we not desire the same? 

 

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With the Faith of a Mustard Seed… 

 

I wanted to share a story that will forever be in my memory. What crazy things the Lord does on such seemingly crazy yet perfect timing! 

 

It was our third night in our current location. We met someone who wanted to spend some time with us, and so we spent time with him and let him show us around. He took us to a back alley in one of the neighborhoods, and ordered us some of the best food I’ve very had in my life. We all poured a round of tea into our cups, and when it came time to pour a glass for my friend, there was none. It was so empty that when they tried to pour the tea, the lid fell into the glass. They peered into the pot and to their surprise, there wasn’t anything left. They grabbed the lid from across the table, and replaced it onto the pot. 

Only a minute later another friend wanted a cup of tea, but they had not seen that the pot was empty just a few moments earlier. We immediately stopped them from grabbing the pot collectively saying, “Don’t bother, it’s empty,” but they payed no mind to our comments. 

With not an ounce of hesitation my friend grabbed the pot and tipped it over saying, “In Jesus name,” and instantly they poured not one, but TWO more FULL cups of PERFECTLY BREWED HOT TEA! Our entire table was in a literal uproar. Since when does tea come out of nowhere!? But that wasn’t the end. 

We proceeded with our meal, payed, left, and continued on our way back home. We ran into a crowd of men, and we did our best to share the gospel with them. Directly afterwards, we prayed for a man who had pain in his lower left leg/foot. We laid hands on him and some of us knelt to the ground and prayed, “In Jesus name be healed.” When we were finished, the man began to stomp on the ground in disbelief, and the small crowd surrounding us was in an outward state of absolute shock. 

We talked to the man and his friends for a little while, and then proceeded back on our route home. Then, another man from down the street hollered at us. Yet again, another group formed. He had pain in both of his legs that had began to progress. We laid hands on him twice, and upon our conclusion, he told us that he as well was healed. 

I WISH I had enough words to tell you how amazed I was to see these things with my own eyes. The Lord is so good, and I will tell of these things until the day that I die. I pray that all of you will step into faith that allows you to see the things that I have seen, and see the way that the Lord loves even the sheep that stray from the flock. 

If any of you have any requests for prayer, do not hesitate to reach out to me. If you would like to know this story in its fullness, again, please reach out to me personally (because I would LOVE to share). I am thankful for each and every one of you, and I would love to share with you anything and everything that I can. 

Blessings and peace be upon you. I pray the Lord give you divine opportunity to share His love with others. I pray He fill you with passion and zeal for His name.