Keith Wishum recently shared a little story that was good
for my soul. I hope it will be good for yours, too.
The child was
six and went to a restaurant with his mom. He prayed aloud, "God is
good. God is great. Thank You for the food, and I would even thank You
more if Mom got us ice cream for dessert. And liberty and justice for
all! Amen!"
Customers
nearby chuckled at the prayer, but one woman remarked, "That's what's
wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking
God for ice-cream! Why, I never!"
The boy burst
into tears and asked Mom, "Did I do it wrong?" As she held him, an
elderly gentleman approached the table, winked at the boy, and said, "I
happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."
"Really?" the
little boy brightened.
"Cross my
heart," the man replied. Then, nodding toward the critical woman, he
added "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is
good for the soul sometimes."
Naturally,
Mom bought ice cream at the end of the meal. The kid hesitated, picked
up his sundae, and walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With
a big smile he told her, "This is for you. Ice cream is good for the
soul sometimes."
*
Grace.
That’s what’s really good – and desperately needed – for our souls.
“God gives
grace – the opportunity to be treated better than we deserve, to receive
mercy rather than justice,” says Wishum.
That’s good
news for our souls because, despite our best efforts, we “all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Our sins
separate us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and from others (Galatians 5:15),
and they place us on the path to eternal ruin (Matthew 7:13-14).
But God loves
us so much that He extends grace to us through His Son Jesus. Jesus
died on the cross to pay for the redemption of our souls (Ephesians
1:7).
We understand
what’s bad for our souls: “For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God.” But because of God’s love, we can be “justified as a gift
by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans
3:23-24 NASB).
God will extend His grace and give eternal life to
those who place their faith
and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from
their sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31),
confess Jesus
before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are
baptized (immersed) into Christ for the
forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will continue to graciously cleanse
us from sin as we continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John
1:7-9).
Grace. We
desperately need it, and God offers it to us in love. Won’t you accept
it on His terms?
Then, as
Keith Wishum urges, “Having received [it], may we share with others the
grace God has granted us. It’s good for the soul - ours and theirs.”
-- David A.
Sargent
* From
“How to Be Good to People Who Aren’t” by Keith Wishum, minister for the
Williams Road Church in Americus, Georgia.
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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