I've waited to post this, it sounds crazy, but I had a moment last Friday that really amazed me, and I've just been letting it settle down before posting it.
I spent my lunch hour at Washington Crossing State Park, where I often take a brown bag lunch and my Bible and do whatever reading I didn't get to do in the morning whenever Rebecca decides to wake up early and I have to forego my morning Bible reading time.
When starting my drive back to the office, I looked at the gas gauge, noticed it was on "E", and immediately thought "oh, no, I forgot to fill it up this morning!" (I was running late, and had a morning meeting I couldn't be late for). Well, I prayed a quick prayer for help and started heading for the nearest gas station, several miles away, and the trip odometer, which I reset at each fillup was higher than I'd ever seen it lately. About a half mile from a gas station I knew about, I had to stop at a stop sign, and when I started up again, the car suddenly started coasting. Oh man! A one-hour or more wait for AAA out here on Jacob's Creek road. Out of desperation I said out loud "God help me!" Just as I uttered that, the car roared back to life again! Awesome! And I made it to the gas station. Someone I told this story to suggested that maybe some gas was sloshing around in the gas tank, and maybe they are right, but I also think God was looking out for me. Call upon Me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me. (Psalm 50) Glory to God!
I believe in prayer, but I also believe there is a mystery to God's grace that must leave us all humble. Obviously on September 11, 2001 a lot of people who are now dead also called out "God help me!" If God came through for you, did God fail those folks? God's grace is both awesome and beyond our full comprehension.
Posted by: Joel Thomas at November 10, 2004 12:39 AMSo, what exactly does this have to do with John 6?
Posted by: Scott Andrews at November 10, 2004 09:56 AMScott, John 6 relates the miracle of feeding the 5000, where Jesus fed 5000 men, plus an unknown number of women and children, with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, or to put it another way, He made a little go a long way, a very long way.
Joel, I don't claim to know all the details of God's grace. I've read the book of Job several times, and each time I read it, it seems like all the speakers in the book are speaking wisely, yet at the end it is revealed that they just don't understand the deepness of God's wisdom. Yes, it does call for humility, and I hope that I have the character to praise God even bad things happen to me.
Even though bad things happen to people, I do believe that God hears and answers prayer. Perhaps my post was a bit 'silly', but I think God does want us to praise Him and give thanks when He answers our prayers. David was rather bold in his praise and thanksgiving, even "undignified" at times, and it's not treated by the Bible as a bad thing.
Joel,
I wasn't disagreeing with or criticizing your post, I hope you understand.
Posted by: Joel Thomas at November 11, 2004 11:44 PMThanks, Joel, and sorry if I sounded defensive in my answer too.
Posted by: Joel Fuhrmann at November 15, 2004 02:57 PM