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God’s Gracious Gift
| Three articles by Bro David B Yelulani (Banket, Zimbabwe)
H
ow frequently we hear the expressions,
“they earned,” or “they deserve,” or
“they are entitled”. We seem to be living in
a calculating age in which most things carry
a price of some sort. Employees seek
bonuses while employers seek service.
Trade Unions threaten strike action if work-
ers’ demands are not met. Favours done are
remembered and, at some times or another,
are expected to be repaid. How fortunate
we are that God does not deal with us in a
similar manner. How blessed we are that our
Lord does not apportion His love according
to what we have done for Him, or how we
have lived our lives. The love of our Lord is
a most gracious act on the part of a loving
Saviour who, as Paul puts it, “died for us
while we were still sinners”. As Christians,
having been the recipients of such a bless-
ing, it is our duty to share this Christ-like
love with everyone with whom we come in
contact. In so doing we shall be glorifying
God, which is our duty and our privilege.
Where are you? | Genesis 3:9
Y
ou could probably give an easy answer to
this question, which would describe your
exact geographical location. That informa-
tion would be useful to someone who was
looking for you.
God asked the question of Adam after he dis-
obeyed God in the Garden of Eden. God
knew, of course, exactly where Adam was.
There was more to the question than geog-
raphy. Like the one the Pharisees asked
Jesus, it is one of the deep questions of the
Bible.
Asked at one level, it has much deeper sig-
nificance at other levels. Adam was hiding
from God, covering his shame and guilt. He
was hoping that God would not find him. He
was actually lost in a very deep sense. He
had moved into the domain of sin, and out
of fellowship with God.
God poses the same question to us at any
time, and at all times. He asks, not because
He doesn’t know, but because we need to an-
swer it. To do so we have to look at our-
selves, ask where we have got to, and where
we think we are going. You may have got to
a dead end, spiritually speaking. You may be
drifting away from Jesus. You might be com-
pletely lost, bent on getting as far away from
God as you can. You could be so confused
that you don’t know where you are, but fac-
ing up to the question might at least help you
to acknowledge your lack of direction. You
could be successful in your professional or
business career, but “where are you?” in the
sense that really matters?
T
he times in which we are living could
be referred to as the “instant Age.”
Pre-cooked meals are available, so too are
instant drinks. Few kitchens are without a
microwave oven which responds in a matter
of minutes. Electronic equipment has revo-
lutionized the world of accounting and com-
munication at the touch of a button, so
much can be achieved almost instanta-
neously. It is an unfortunate state of affairs
that, in many instances, there are those who
adopt the same attitude towards prayer.
They present their prayers to God and
expect instant results. So often, when these
are not forthcoming, they doubt the efficacy
of prayer, leading to a weakening of their
faith in a God of love and compassion. Paul
reminds us of the fact that “in all things God
works for good with those who love Him,
those whom He has called according to His
purpose.” (Romans 8:28). For this reason the
Lord’s timing is perfect according to your
needs, which are well-known to Him. Be
patient in prayer and wait on the Lord.
He will answer in your best interests.
Be Patient