God in all, BIG & small
Throughout the Bible, there are stories of God using people to bring about change of one type or another; be it repentance by way of prophets warning of impending judgement, or the change from the old covenant (man being under the Law) to the new covenant (man under grace) as details of God’s plan for reconciling us to Him. Regardless of the situation or circumstance… God chooses and uses people to accomplish His will.
As I was reading from 2nd Corinthians this evening, I came across a few verses from 2nd Corinthians 7 that reminded me a post at R3 and tie in with God using people for His purposes and will. In his post from a few days ago, E.Barrett wrote of how we can be quick to forget how God blesses us thus taking Him for granted. We’ll forget how God carries us through times of illness, financial woes, emotionally trying times etc; As E.B. also said; “…how He transforms our lives.”. Thinking about that post in view of tonight’s Bible reading, I realized a way that I had taken God for granted, often no doubt.
Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians 7 about a visit that his companion Titus had made to the church of Corinth. He describes the encouragement and spiritual blessing that the Corinthians experienced from this visit; and it causes me to reflect and ask “How often have I overlooked the “little” ways & things that God uses in His effort to make me righteous in His eyes?”
2nd Corinthians 7:6-7
6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
No, it wasn’t like the parting of the Red Sea that Moses and company experienced and soon forgot about. Nor was it a victory for Israel against a neighboring pagan nation to cleanse the land, only to have the nation of Israel eventually adopt the very customs and practices that they were supposed to be 
eradicating. A thought from 2nd Corinthians 7 is that of Paul recognizing the hand of God being all over the situation; Paul ever mindful of his servitude to our LORD recognized and acknowledged how Titus was used by God for the sake of the folks at Corinth. Paul rightly remembered God’s handiwork and understood how it plays into God’s plan(s)to bring people to repentance & redemption.
Grace and peace be with you.
The only way to get a good reward is to take a good risk, and sometimes that means the possibility of failure
Christopher says
Welcome Nicole,
Also I believe that in both victory and failure we can experience growth in Christ, if we allow Christ to show us the “silver lining” of the situation as well as how to avoid the pitfalls in the future. Meaning, having a receptive and obedient heart.
Grace and peace be with you.
Good stuff. I think part of the reason it’s so easy to take God for granted is that he’s SO big, SO generous, SO loving that it’s hard for us to wrap our brains around that. That’s not a good excuse of why we do it, but I think it’s part of the answer as to why.
Christopher says:
Agreed, though I’d add that being what we are… sinners; it just seems to be a part of our nature to have a disposition for taking others for granted, ie; God, family, & friends. The ‘ole “It’s all about me” syndrome.
Good to hear from you again E.B., welcome back to the land of the living.
BTW, what is the world coming to when we have kickers going off on towel dispensers? Who does Jeff Reed think he is… Pac-Man Jones or Maurice Clarett !?!