Songs Of Our Faith Part 7b Series

Songs Of Our Faith Part 7B

His Grace Is Greater (Part 2)

By: Larnelle Harris

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28, 39; Isaiah 65:24;

Introduction:

In the first part of this song last week, I shared with you that I became fully aware of this song when I was discharged from the Air Force and was without a job for the first time in my working career. I shared with you how in my mind, I had done everything within my power to guarantee that someone, somewhere would hire me because of my experiences and my education. I took credit for my planning and my accomplishments which would lead me to a good job. When I did not immediately land a job, I questioned myself. It was at this time that I began to listen to and understand this song. Last week I reviewed verse one. We will pick up this week with verse two.

I. Verse Two

Verse two says, “He'll give us strength to simply trust Him, through times we may not understand. We will gain a sweet assurance, no passing doubt can dim, our lives are safely in His hand.” When I was lying across my bed crying and thinking about the position I had put myself and my family in, I thought about these words. God was not only asking that I trust Him – He was demanding it. God knew that how I chose to walk through this particular situation would impact my choices from that day forward as it related to me depending on Him. He wanted me to know; He needed me to know that my life was truly in His hand.

Two week ago Rev. Williams discussed what was written in Jeremiah 29:11. It says “For I know the plans that I have for you’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.” Isn’t it amazing when you think about the creator of the universe and everything that is in it has a plan for your life? I was not thinking about God’s plan for my life during this moment of my life. I would like to think that had I been fully aware and walking with Him more closely I would have spent that time looking for the job He had prepared for me versus worrying. God said that He knows the plans. He did not say that “we” needed to know them; it is enough that He knows the plans that He has for us. The plans include things for our welfare, not for our destruction. This means that God’s plan is to look out for us and what is best for us. He has a future in mind for us if we will choose to walk with Him towards it.

Paul writes in Romans 8:28 that “….God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Paul reminds us that whatever we face, even though there are times when it will be painful, we will grow and learn from them and it will work to our good. How many of you know sometimes learning a hard lesson is for our good although it can be painful going through the actual learning process. When you read these two verses together you gain an understanding that our lives truly rests in God’s hands. He knows what He thinks of us, what He has planned for us – good and not evil. He knows that He has the power to bring what He has planned for us into a reality if we walk with Him. This can be compared to our saving for our children to go to college or trade school when they graduate high school. We know what we plan for them and we make provisions to bring it to pass. But our children also have input into it as it is their future. God knows what He has planned for us but we must align ourselves with Him in order to walk in and fulfill those plans. Paul reminds us that all things will work together for our good. We do not have to know how; we just have to know that it will.

II. Verse Three

Verse three says “Though countless souls have come to Him so desperate and lost, with faith no greater than a tiny seed. Each one has found a wondrous truth, beneath His simple cross; His grace is greater than our need.” At this moment in my life I was the one coming to Him so desperate and lost with very little faith. For years my identity was wrapped around me being in the military and serving my country. I did not have to think about who or what I was because I was tied to or associated with something. When I did not have this, I literally felt lost. I could not have the same conversations that others had because the first question that many people ask when they first meet you is “What kind of work do you do or what do you do for a living?” I dreaded meeting people because I did not have a job that I could talk about. Going through this experience was the first lesson among many where I began to define myself not by the job I held, but by my relationship with Christ. There is not a 2 hour stretch of time that goes by when I do not think about something relating to God, this Church, or my (or your) relationship with Christ. It consumes me and I am okay with that even though I am sure it drives those closest to me crazy.