God’s grace

Not Good Enough!

/ pastorpete51 / 8 Comments 
“I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 10:11 ESV

“You are not enough!” Colonel Phillips shouts to Steve Rogers, in the first Captain America film. Colonel Phillips wanted an army of superheroes, but all he ended up with was Steve. Of course, later in the film we find out that Steve actually is good enough, but the colonel needed a lot of convincing. Maybe the reason I love that movie is because I can identify with not being good enough.

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When I was a little boy, I didn’t think deeply on it, but I sensed that I was somehow not good enough, because all the other kids had a dad. Then, when I was five, mom remarried and my new “dad” showed up with his crew-cut, a dark mustache and lots of strict rules. He had rules about sitting at the table – “no talking at the table and eat all the brussels sprouts.” There were rules about shining my shoes on Sunday, making my bed like his drill sergeant had taught him and most of all rules, about playing the clarinet. He loved the clarinet, played in a chamber group, and listened to Benny Goodman and Pete Fountain. They all sounded fine, but in spite of daily practice, when I picked up that instrument more squeaks and squawks came out than the proper dulcet tones. I was not good enough. Saturday music lessons didn’t help much, and my afternoons, when my friends were out playing baseball, I sat in the basement room struggling with my instrument. My lower lip was often split by the reed and if I thought at all of heaven it was the place where no one had to play the clarinet ever again! Bringing that, “Not good enough!” struggle into my job, my family, and my church life, made me work tirelessly to do better, yet left me with the nagging feeling that no matter how hard I tried, I could never be good enough for God. Of course, I knew that I was saved by grace, but I figured God just sort of put up with me from there. I still squeaked and squawked at playing the notes of life and God had lots of rules that I couldn’t keep up with. But over the course of fifty plus years following Jesus, I have begun to learn the love of my Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for me. He doesn’t first ask me to play perfectly, sit silently at HIs table, and shine my shoes on Sunday. He first gave His life and then called me to follow Him. Sheep do not always follow perfectly. We are not fast, strong, or smart. We don’t even smell good! Yet despite all our many faults and failures, He loves us and by His wonderful merciful grace we belong to Him!

God Meets Jacob (and us) in the Desert

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And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. Genesis 28:11 ESV

Until this time Jacob’s life had been easy and predictable. His father was a wealthy and godly man, and his mother favored him over his brother and made sure that anything he needed was provided. But, because of his own deceitfulness and trickery, Jacob was now running away, and uncertain when he would ever see his parents again. At the end of day one in his journey, as Jacob watched the sun set in the desert, he realized that for the first time in his young life he was completely alone. Yet in spite of everything he had done, God loved Jacob and had scheduled a meeting with him that night, that would change the course of his life.

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Ironically, it was Esau, not Jacob, who knew about camping and hunting, and Jacob in his hurry, had not thought to bring along a tent, a sleeping bag or even a pillow. Today’s verse tells us that when he lay down to sleep, Jacob had to use a stone for a pillow. I will bet that as he lay tossing and turning with his head resting on that rock, that Jacob was missing the comforts of home! Some of us can look back and identify with that moment. or maybe you are in the middle of a desert right now! The good news is that in this, desert moment, with our heads resting on a stone pillow, God has not forgotten us. In fact, He has chosen this dark and lonely time to meet with us, not to solve all our problems, but to begin or deepen our relationship with Him. In Jacob’s life, it would be another twenty years before he would return home, but that night was a start. If you are ready for a new start, a dream, and a ladder, then get ready for an adventure that only God Himself could have planned. Then, stay tuned for the next installment in Jacob’s life, as God replaces his scheming with blessings, that are wrapped up in hard work and some hard knocks!

And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! Genesis 28:12 ESV

Three Steps to Knowing God – Grace – Grace – Grace

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For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT

Back in 1976 one church organization launched a media campaign called, “I Found It.”, that included, T-shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers (I know we had one). Though well-intentioned, it missed the point that in fact according to the Bible, we don’t find God – He finds us. The prodigal son wasn’t lost. He knew exactly where his father lived, and when he came home, and the father commented, “He was lost but now is found,” meant that the father had restored the relationship by grace when the boy returned.

In today’s verse when Paul refers to the first words which God spoke at creation, “Let there be light!”, he didn’t mean that the darkness was searching for the light. In the same way, the Apostle Paul hadn’t come to Christ because he was searching for God, rather he was persecuting Christians. But then God shone a light so bright around him, that he fell to the ground and his life, and our world was forever changed. If we know Christ as Lord and Savior, it all began with God: not us. Yes, of course we had to respond. The prodigal had to repent and return; Paul had to humble himself and ask what to do next and we have had to take steps to obey Jesus. But before any of these things, God had to first speak a word, shine His light, and graciously welcome us home. All of this can feel immensely intimidating, because it takes things out of our control and confesses that it all began with God. But when troubles come, we fail or wander far from home, the love of God still shines in the distance. We have hope, to return to Father’s house, an action plan to follow and a glory to be found as we follow the light of the star of grace all the way to the feet of Jesus Christ!