As I commemorate another birthday, I earnestly desire to point to the greatness of God. So for today, I want to briefly list four aspects of God’s work in my life; they all start with the letter A. By the way, just to state this for the record: I could write a much more detailed blog on each of these sections – in fact, at one point, I toyed with the idea of writing several blog installments leading up to my birthday. Ultimately, I decided to go with this “cliff notes” version.
#1: “Altered course”
When I was a boy, I gave my life to Christ, and it forever altered the course of my life. I’ve often spoken of Pastor Rick Ferguson; in 2002, he went home to be the Lord at just 46 years of age. Like me, he was saved as a young boy. Rick often said that God saved him not only from what he was, He saved him for what he would have become. I second that for myself. There is no doubt that my life would look drastically different if not for God transforming me into a Christian – a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17) all those years ago.
#2: Awe-inspiring God
One definition for “awe-inspiring” is “arousing awe through being impressive, formidable or magnificent.” The God that I serve is truly “awe-inspiring”. He snatched me from death as a baby; He healed me from seizures, blood in urine, and (probably most miraculously of all) He also pardoned my sin and granted me salvation. Psalm 77:12 says, “I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.” He is the magnificent God who does jaw-dropping things when He chooses to do so. At other times, He is the One who helps us endure, and walks with us through the fiery trials of life.
#3: Angelic help
There have been episodes where my life was spared because of God’s supernatural deliverance through angels. When I was boy, for example, I should have drowned, but because of angelic help, I survived. But there has also been angelic protection simply driving from Point A to Point B (there are probably many more instances of this than I know). Plus, I’m reminded of how I have gotten in a few minor fender benders, but they happened in such a way where I didn’t get hurt, except for some post-traumatic stress.
#4: Arranged by God
I say “arranged” because I needed another word that start with the letter A! But what I’m getting at here is that I have been created and designed by God. In his fine book “The Way I was Made: Words and Music for an Unusual Life” Chris Tomlin has some words that I want to conclude with. I hope they encourage you, as they did me. Tomlin writes:
“God didn’t make a mistake when He made you. He didn’t set out to make another Einstein or Mother Teresa or Michael Jordan or Michael W. [Smith] only to get interrupted…and – Oops! Lookey here. It’s Billy. How disappointing. It’s not like that at all. He’s not wishing – not for a moment – that you could just get it together enough to be someone else…He made you just the way you are for an extraordinary purpose, an unusual life, one that only you can live for Him.”
Kevin
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