All the Way: At Work for Me
-Mack TomlinsonThis morning in prayer, the thoughts came to me in a way they never have -- "You have been intimately and lovingly active in my life personally every moment since the womb until right now 60 years later."
So for 60 years, or 720 months, or 21,900 days, or 525,600 hours, or 31,536,000 seconds -- God has personally been intimately active toward me, with me, for me, and concerning me. Let us think for a moment of all of His actions toward us every second of our lives.
- He created me and placed me in exactly the place and period in history best for me.
- He put me with exactly the people (family and setting) best for me ultimately to mold me into His purpose.
- He shaped and kept me in life, even though I had no knowledge of His love, His work, or His ways with me.
- He kept me from life-destroying and life-ending choices and accidents numerous times.
- He kept me from marriage relationships that would have been wrong.
- He led me to the right education places best for me.
- In just the right year, at just the right age, in the exact month, and on the very best day possible, He revealed Himself to me and saved me, at just the right age.
- He began to teach me His ways even from the first week of my conversion.
- He brought me several excellent books in the first year of my walk that were the best ones I could have read.
- He gave me Christian friends who helped me as a new believer.
- He called me to the gospel ministry, though I was unfit and unworthy of it ever.
- He brought into my life the people, books, influences, and experiences that would best shape me for Christian life and ministry.
- He has patiently endured my ignorance, weakness, and mediocrity.
- He has kept me from dying in accidents that happened that would have certainly killed me otherwise.
My Heavenly Father, through the Saviour's mercies, has been with me, led me, taught me, forgiven me, been gracious and long-suffering toward me, provided for me, kept me through many dangers and snares, preserved me from wrong decisions, forced me toward right decisions, lavished kindnesses and blessings upon me when least deserved, kept my heart beating and lungs breathing every second for 60 years, given me many dearest Christian friends, sent encouragements and provisions when most needed, answered hundreds upon hundreds of prayers. He thinks about me, loves me freely and unconditonally, is continually with me, sustains me, is patient with me, daily condescends to be near me, love and encourage me, makes His Word fresh to me, gives me guidance and help in preaching and pastoring, loves me in spite of my many short comings, and . . . . . . . . . . . I could go on and on and on and on.
If the Psalmist says, as he does in Psalm 139, that His thoughts of us are more than can be numbered, then what am I to think of that--what am I to do with that? Just humble myself and let me heart love Him more.
How good, how gracious, and kind, loving, tender, merciful, and large-hearted has my God and Saviour been to me. Deserving not even one of the least of His mercies, He has lavished untold and unbelievable grace, kindnesses, and loving acts upon me.
This morning, Lord, thank you for all of it-- thank you for being who You are, thank you for all you have ever done, for every way and time you ever worked and acted in my behalf, and how you have kept me all my days, totally by the power of God and not because of anything in me.
All the way, God has been at work for me and great grace has been my portion and I am thankful.
- Mack Tomlinson
