For in him we live, and move, and have our being… Acts 17:28
My little grandmother was a practical lady. I doubt that she had too much use for theology, but she did know the Author of the Bible intimately. And she spoke with and of him throughout the entirety of her days. She saw God in everything, and her ears were open to his voice wherever she turned.
We lived next door to my grandparents for the first eight years of my life so that her pragmatic Christianity deeply formed me. For Grandma, there was a message in everything. One day as I was helping her around the house, she told me that she loved to clean—it reminded her of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. She said that the blood of Jesus cleanses us (present tense) from all our sin. And so on, Grandma lived out her faith. With that background, I shouldn’t ever be surprised when God appears every day—just as he does with all of us if we open our eyes.
One of my projects this summer was to paint my home office, and I determined to take advantage of the seasonal sale to get my supplies. The office has an accent wall covered with a graphic design that picks up the color of the adjoining sitting room. I rushed off to the paint store thinking I could match that color from memory and loaded up with what I needed.
Faster than I expected, the paint was done and drying. And then I noticed something: the paint was a couple shades off the paper and looked dreadful. All that time and expense had been for nothing. I knew I should have checked my records to see what color I had used for the sitting room, but I was in a hurry.
On my next day off, I decided to see if there might be an old paint can in the basement that would give me the right color formula. Sure enough, not only was there an old can, but the can was full. Is it a stretch to say that what I needed I already had but was in too big a rush to investigate? The paint was perfect, went on quickly, and it creates just the effect I wanted.
Isn’t God able to meet our practical as well as our spiritual needs? I wonder if I’m/we’re so esoteric that I/we don’t imagine God will take care of the little things that make up much of what we do every day? Every time I use or walk through that office, I will remember how my haste cost me and will always have a toll when I don’t bother to talk with God about the little things.
Father, help me to practice more and more your presence and your provision in all things. Remind me that you resist the proud but gives grace (and help) to the humble. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.
agodforeveryday 