Wednesday evening was one of those special, almost magical, evenings. We live in the Northwest corner of Midland, Texas; and I was walking around our neighborhood right as the sun was setting and twilight began. It was one of those great, late spring, West Texas evenings when the temperature was just right and the breeze was both caressing and refreshing. I was walking with my earphones plugged into my Iphone, tuned into the Pandora internet radio application, playing some delightful, easy listening, jazz music.
If you have never seen a West Texas sunset, well...you have missed one of God's great beauties. They are always beautiful, never the same, from magnificent and soul stirring to bucolic and flooding the senses with peace and tranquility. Wednesday was no exception with colors from pink to green that melded into the azure blue of the twilight sky.
There were some ducks headed to a playa lake nearby and their silhouette against the twilight sky was like an Ansel Adams photograph. There was the twilight chatter of the birds that I could hear over my headphones. For the length of a yard a Robin ran along beside me as if keeping me company. One of the Grey Foxes that inhabit the area trotted in front of me and then stopped and gave me a long look before he jauntily went on his way.
Really, quite a 45 minutes as I was drinking it all in and enjoying each and every drop, reveling in its pleasure. I was also thinking on I Timothy 6:17 (God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy), and thanking Him for all I was enjoying: and thinking on how God is good and does good, and that He withholds no good thing from His children. I was enjoying not only His physical creation, but also the music created by the ones created in His image, and made available through the technology that has its ultimate creation in God. For all things are from Him and through Him and to Him, and He is the giver of every good and perfect gift.
In thinking about all of this it occurred to me that some of the people whom I passed by on my walk were probably not Christians, not God's children; but that they were able to enjoy the same evening, the same atmosphere, the same breeze, the same scenery, and the same music as I was. They also benefit from the same technology and are able to enjoy the same sunsets because they live in West Texas. Matthew 5:45 tells us, "He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous." Luke 6:35 adds this, "For He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men."
Yes, God is good and does good, but He does good to all and for all, and all of us, believer and unbeliever, are the beneficiaries of His immeasurable goodness. This is common grace, unmerited favor, bestowed upon all those who have not merited, earned, or deserved it. Psalm 145:9 says, "The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works." God's common grace flows out of and is an extension of His goodness. Oh, that those who are not His, would see and rejoice, and come to faith. Then their common grace would become special grace, saving grace, which is the ultimate expression of His goodness.
Thank you, O Lord, for all that you have given us, as man, to enjoy. Bless Your name now and forever.
If you have never seen a West Texas sunset, well...you have missed one of God's great beauties. They are always beautiful, never the same, from magnificent and soul stirring to bucolic and flooding the senses with peace and tranquility. Wednesday was no exception with colors from pink to green that melded into the azure blue of the twilight sky.
There were some ducks headed to a playa lake nearby and their silhouette against the twilight sky was like an Ansel Adams photograph. There was the twilight chatter of the birds that I could hear over my headphones. For the length of a yard a Robin ran along beside me as if keeping me company. One of the Grey Foxes that inhabit the area trotted in front of me and then stopped and gave me a long look before he jauntily went on his way.
Really, quite a 45 minutes as I was drinking it all in and enjoying each and every drop, reveling in its pleasure. I was also thinking on I Timothy 6:17 (God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy), and thanking Him for all I was enjoying: and thinking on how God is good and does good, and that He withholds no good thing from His children. I was enjoying not only His physical creation, but also the music created by the ones created in His image, and made available through the technology that has its ultimate creation in God. For all things are from Him and through Him and to Him, and He is the giver of every good and perfect gift.
In thinking about all of this it occurred to me that some of the people whom I passed by on my walk were probably not Christians, not God's children; but that they were able to enjoy the same evening, the same atmosphere, the same breeze, the same scenery, and the same music as I was. They also benefit from the same technology and are able to enjoy the same sunsets because they live in West Texas. Matthew 5:45 tells us, "He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous." Luke 6:35 adds this, "For He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men."
Yes, God is good and does good, but He does good to all and for all, and all of us, believer and unbeliever, are the beneficiaries of His immeasurable goodness. This is common grace, unmerited favor, bestowed upon all those who have not merited, earned, or deserved it. Psalm 145:9 says, "The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works." God's common grace flows out of and is an extension of His goodness. Oh, that those who are not His, would see and rejoice, and come to faith. Then their common grace would become special grace, saving grace, which is the ultimate expression of His goodness.
Thank you, O Lord, for all that you have given us, as man, to enjoy. Bless Your name now and forever.
1 comment:
Morris, your a poet! God is good indeed and thanks for the reminder.
...with colors from pink to green that melded into the azure blue of the twilight sky.
...their silhouette against the twilight sky was like an Ansel Adams photgraph.
..the Grey Foxes that inhabit the area trotted in front of me and then stopped and gave me a long look before he jauntily went on his way.
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