Four stories of grace

Story #1: Reading in Genesis about Noah in the ark,
verse 7:16 says “Then the Lord shut him in.” I wrote in the margin of my Bible,
“We talk a lot about God opening and closing doors. Here is a case when God
closed a door as protection … yet, I usually pray for open doors.”

For my entire life as a believer
I’ve heard the phrase, “When God closes a door he opens a window.” The idea is
that if an opportunity goes away God provides another. It is meant to be a
comfort when something we wanted gets closed down. In later years I learned a
Quaker phrase, “Proceed as the way opens,” meaning in our pursuit of God’s life
we seldom get to see very far in advance but we should simply move forward as
opportunities open up. Both of those phrases have proven true for me at
different stages of life.

In Noah’s case God closed the door
to protect Noah and his family. I wonder how often God has closed a door,
slamming it shut, to protect me and my family? How many missed opportunities or
regrets that seemed bad at the time but were actually God’s grace?

Story #2: Genesis 14 tells
the story when Lot and his family was captured
by four warlords. This was after Abram and Lot made their famous split and Lot chose the land that eventually led to this downfall.
They were taken along with other people and possessions from Sodom
and Gomorrah.

When Abram heard that his nephew had
been taken captive he assembled his own men and pursued the warring tribes,
chasing them across the countryside until he soundly defeated them. He
recovered all the goods and people and brought them back home.

As I read this I wondered if being
captured and destined for slavery or death was Lot’s
wake-up call from God. I wondered if God allowed this to happen to Lot to show him he would share in the bad fortunes of the
people he had chosen to live with, and to give him an opportunity to pack up
his stuff and rejoin Abram, which would mean rejoining God? Maybe this was
God’s warning to Lot that life was about to get much worse at Sodom
and Gomorrah
and he should get out now.

But Lot
settled back into his old life. After he was rescued he went home to Sodom and there is no
mention of his presence at the worship service with Melchizedek to honor God
for the victory. Lot was conspicuously absent
from the record. In spite of God’s grace and warning, he learned nothing.

Story #3: Genesis 16
describes the plight of Hagar, servant to Abram and Sarai, who was tossed out
of the family through no fault of her own. Hagar called the place where God
spoke to her “Beer Lahai Roi,” saying, “You are the God who sees me.” What a
comfort to know we are seen, to know we are valued, to know our efforts and
contribution have made a significant impact and have been noticed by those who
matter, to know we are not alone, to know we are not abandoned, to know God
sees us. In ancient religions it was not good to be seen or noticed by god.
Worship was about appeasing god and keeping him satisfied and keeping him
distant. But here is a God who showed himself to Hagar and she was blessed. She
knew she was not alone. Even when pushed out of her family, out of her own
life, and left alone, she knew the one who mattered saw her and noticed her.
Sometimes that’s the grace we need most.

Story #4: Finally, in Genesis
19, angels had to drag Lot and his wife by the hand to save them from
destruction in Sodom.
Even then, Lot tried to bargain with them as
they saved his life. I wonder how many times I have been rescued by God
dragging me by the hand, while I complained the entire time?

“I run in the path of Your
commands, for You have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32

To learn more about Berry’s newest book, “Running
With God:” http://www.runningwithgodonline.com/

Follow Berry on Twitter at @berrysimpson … Contact
Berry directly: berry@stonefoot.org