The Surpassing Grace of God

And God is able to make all grace abound to you,

so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times,

you may abound in every good work.   2 Corinthians 9:8

“I tell this story, not because I am good, but because He is good.” Susan's voice is soft and soothing – as it always is. There are seven of us gathered on the screened-in porch; cousins who share the bloodlines and upbringing of Robert and Pauline, Doris and Helen. We gather once a year to share our food, our time, our stories. We once lived over the hill and down the road from one another – now time and distance and our own families have strewn us across the southern states.

Susan had gone to the grocery store after church on Sunday. As she waited in line to pay, a woman about her age and a young boy waited beside her. Joy spilled out of them and drew Susan’s attention. She smiled back at the little boy who proudly announced to her, “I got to ring the bell today!”

Susan assumed it was probably something at their church – maybe a reward for memorizing bible verses – until the boy’s grandmother explained he had just finished his last chemo treatment. She opened her jacket to display her tee-shirt underneath with ‘God is Good’ printed on it. “Yes, He is,” Susan agreed.

As they left the store and nodded their goodbyes, Susan went to the left; the boy and his grandmother went to the right. Arriving at her car, Susan was surprised to look up and see that her car was parked nose to nose with the car of the grandmother.

“This is not a coincidence,” God whispered in Susan’s ear. “What am I supposed to do?” Susan mentally shot back. “They look so happy! God, you will have to show me what You want me to do!”

She called out to the grandmother, “Y’all have a good day!” The woman had finished buckling her grandson into his car seat and replied as she came around to the front of her car, “Oh, we will! I’m gonna fix this baby some food. And I have $3 left… I should put gas in my car, but I’m gonna buy this baby a toy. He deserves a little something after all he’s been through!” Susan realized she was holding a little plastic produce bag with 2 sweet potatoes in it.

Again, in that instantaneous way God has of speaking, she heard, “This is what that extra money is for.”

Susan shared her habit of replenishing her billfold every Monday. This week as she had put $40 in, she had heard God’s whisper in her ear – “You are going to need more this week.” Oh. Obediently, she had slipped more money into her billfold.

Susan went to the woman and placed the extra money into her hand. “This is for you. Fill your gas tank up.”

The Grandmother was surprised, looking at the money in her hand and up to Susan’s eyes. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Susan reassured her.

“I don’t know how to thank you…” the grandmother responded.

“It is like your shirt says, ‘God is good’,” was Susan’s response.

Three times God had spoken to Susan concerning this appointment He had been orchestrating. It was a ‘chance meeting’, a ‘coincidence’ that Susan would have missed if she had gone back for that one additional item she had remembered right before approaching the checkout line. God had guided her with small whispers. “You are going to need more money this week.” “This is not a coincidence.” “This is what the extra money is for.”

Susan concluded her story with a question, “What would I have missed if I hadn’t been listening… If I hadn’t looked up? I didn’t tell this story because I am good, but because God is good.” I felt a shift in the summer night as we cousins who never stop talking thought about Susan’s story. We thought of listening carefully for the voice of God. We thought of looking into the eyes of others.

This morning Susan’s story is still with me. Am I listening? What is God orchestrating in my life? In the life of someone I love? In the life of a stranger who will stand beside me for just a moment?

This is my prayer for you, for me, for us.

May I listen, Lord. May I listen.

Guard my heart. Guard my thoughts.

Speak Your words, Lord. Speak Your wisdom.

Make my ears hear Your plans.

Make my feet walk Your path.

Make my eyes look closely at Your creation.

Lord,

use my money, use my time, use my hands.

All I have is yours. 

Show me You.

Share in me Your glory.

Remind me again and then again that

You, dear God, are good 

As I meditated on this story, God took me to the beautiful passage in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. You may also enjoy reading it. It perfectly explains what God was doing that Sunday afternoon as He prepared Susan’s heart to be generous and as He provided what was needed for the joy-filled grandmother.

Within those words written by Paul two centuries ago, there is the description of ‘the surpassing grace of God’. Overwhelming, generous, abundant grace. We experience this ‘inexpressible gift’ when we are submissive and obedient to our Father. God increases ‘the harvest of our righteousness’ and we are ‘enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.’

And so, it does. And it is not because we are good. It is because God is good. And yes, He is.

King of My Heart - Bethel Music (Acoustic) [Live] | Garden MSC

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