Marvelous Things

-

Zooming past the last yellow light I felt confident I’d be on time. I just dodged the final impediment and there was nothing  but uninterrupted road ahead… no more cross walks, stop signs, or red lights. Dashing out the car I made my way to the front door and that’s when it hit me: the sound of dozens of people singing “He has done marvelous. He has done marvelous things. Praise the Lord!” The beautiful chorus of praise confirmed I was indeed late but I realized the frantic rush was worth it as I made my way down the aisle. Joy filled my heart as I joined in (unable to carry a tune) with the harmonious singing, “Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous, marvelous things– praise the Lord!” 

It was an amazing worship service and on my way back home I kept humming that song. Hours later and I found myself at the dinner table low key singing, “He’s done marvelous, marvelous things– praise the Lord.” There aren’t a lot of lyrics to the song but its simplicity enhances its meaning. The things God does are truly marvelous. Take you for instance; you’re fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Out of all of the billions of people on this planet you’re one-of-a-kind. People may have similar gifts but no one has the same proportion of gifts God has blessed you with. Your appearance, thoughts, and personality are uniquely yours and God wouldn’t have it any other way so never let anyone put you down (including yourself). 


God created this incredible universe and He put you in it at this exact moment in time. Your presence on this planet was specifically timed by God so that you could be a blessing to others at the exact time they need it. You may be thinking what I said sounds far fetched but do you remember the time you were there to comfort a friend who just lost a loved one? How about the time you smiled and held the door open for a stranger you didn’t know was having a bad day? Or the time you paid it forward or helped a family member get out of a tight financial situation. We impact each other in so many ways without realizing that if it was someone else in that moment, they might not have given the person exactly what they needed. Oh how marvelous is God’s timing!


God has done and continues to do marvelous things but they’re often taken for granted. If you’re reading this blog, it’s safe to say you woke up this morning. Over 150,000 people didn’t get that blessing. The satisfying feeling that comes from a full stomach is something 735 million starving people will miss today. Our health, family, friends and fortune can easily be taken away. You’ve heard that before but hasn’t life shown you it’s true? Which leads me to the most marvelous gift of all– God’s plan of salvation. God knew we couldn’t save ourselves from ourselves so He did the miraculous. Jesus humbled himself and became a man. Not just any man but the perfect sacrifice for sin because he is perfect (without sin). “He’s done marvelous, He has done marvelous things– praise the Lord!” 


Think about it. 





Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 4, 2024 at 4:06 PM

    Amen! This is marvelously written. Great job doing God’s work.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do Your Prayers Tell on You?

-
Do you remember the story Jesus told about two men who went to the temple to pray? One was a Pharisee who thanked God that he wasn’t like other people and proudly listed the things he did right. The other was a tax collector who simply acknowledged his sin and asked God for mercy (Luke 18:9-14). It’s easy to see the problem in the Pharisee’s prayer, but what if we turned the microscope on ourselves? If we took an honest look at our own prayers, what would they reveal about us? So let’s have a little fun and see if we’re more like the Pharisee or the tax collector. The Prayer Life Test For each question give yourself: 2 points  — Often/Yes 1 point  — Sometimes 0 points  — Rarely/No 1) When you pray, how often do you spend time thanking God before asking Him for something? 2) How often do your prayers focus on other people’s needs rather than primarily your own? 3) When you face a difficult situation, do you primarily pray for God to change the situation, or do you ask Him ...
Read more

Passenger Seat Faith & The Trinity

-
It was such a beautiful Saturday morning I just had to lean my head out the window and soak in the sun. My wife was driving and I could sense a little envy for what she calls being a passenger prince. I call it no stress driving because for me  there’s no traffic, no red lights   and no pretending I know where we’re going. My attention was on the sun, a good breeze and good vibes. The only thing disturbing my peace was a podcast playing in the background but as I reached to change the station one of the hosts said, “The Trinity just doesn’t make sense.”  That got my attention. One God and three persons can sound confusing at first and if we’re being real, it can feel like something you’re not supposed to question. But the more I thought about it the more I realized this isn’t about figuring God out on our terms. It’s about understanding what He has already revealed. The Bible is clear that there’s only one God. Deut 6:4 says “…The Lord our God the Lord is one.” That truth...
Read more

Tick Tock. Tick Tock

-
“Another one,” I said to myself while staring at my newest gray hair. “Now I’m matching on all levels,” I sighed as I realized my eyebrows were starting to join the party. The only thing keeping me from looking like a box of Uncle Ben’s Rice was the hair dye sitting on the counter. That was 25 years ago and Father Time loves to remind me his steady march continues. Nowadays it takes a good 5 minute stretch just to work my kinks out and thoughts of beating my grandsons in sports are quickly fading. If you’re like me, you wish you could keep the looks and vitality of youth but I’ve come to realize the aging of our bodies is a daily alarm for us to get right.   We all know people who live the same sinful lifestyle they did when you first met them. Hugh Hefner was 91 years old when he died. Supposedly, he lived exactly how he did when he was in his twenties until the very end. To see someone reject the gift of enteral life because they’re too caught up in this one is disheartening. How...
Read more