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May 18, 2020 - Join Pastor John for a Daily Devotional

May 18, 2020 by Rev. John Hartman

“Luck or Grace?”

Have you ever stopped to think about the “near misses” in your life? What I mean is those narrow, knee-knocking escapes that could have killed you, -- but you’re still here and still alive. The author, Scott Peck, writes: “When I put together the times I just missed being hit by cars while on foot, on a bicycle, or driving; or times when I was driving a car and almost struck pedestrians or barely missed bike riders in the dark; or times when I jammed on the brakes, coming to a stop no more than an inch or two from a vehicle; or times when I narrowly missed skiing into trees or almost fell out of windows; or times when a swinging golf club brushed through my hair, – I asked myself, ‘What is this? Do I live a charmed existence?’” Scott Peck says no. “Tis grace that brought me safe this far.” In other words, not by luck, not by chance, and not by my own wits. Indeed, that wonderful verse from “Amazing Grace” rings so true. “Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”

The unseen presence of God has preserved us through all the dangers of our lives. Just because we can’t see God, does not mean He isn’t working His purposes and plans out for us. As that memorable verse in Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”

In the midst of these scar, frustration, and seemingly helpless times, may God continue to bless you, keep you, protect you, and give you hope, as we move into the future together.