MORE TO FOLLOW . . . grace upon grace . . . .

    At the end of the day, a weary child is cradled comfortably at the lap of his loving father.  The thrills and cares of the day spin off from his mind as he fights his heavy eyelids.  He runs his tender fingers at the face of his father, gathers himself together and draws his lips closer to his father’s right ear.  

    Then he smiles as he whispers almost inaudibly, his hands feeling the sturdy arms and shoulders of his father.  The father smiles and nods repeatedly, responding with that usual reassuring voice.  

    The child’s voice faded into silence as he drifts off to a peaceful sleep. He had his fill of today’s delights – but he has his cares and desires for tomorrow.  His sleep is undisturbed as he had confided everything in his heart to his father.

     It is enough that his father knows!  It is enough that he is in the arms of his father.    It is enough that those strong hands embrace his fragile and weary body.  The child believes that his father’s love will find a way to satisfy tomorrow’s needs.

     As Father, God is moved by love to provide for all of the needs of His children. 

     At times, fatherly love may find it necessary to withhold some material blessings.  But the  hand that withholds is also the same hand attached to the heart that loves.  That is all we need to know. 

     One of the most beautiful Bible passages is that section of the Sermon in the Mount where Jesus speaks movingly to His disciples about the tender care of His Father for all His children. 

“Take no thought for your life,” He says, “ what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment?  Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.  Are ye not much better than they? … 

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.  And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  

"Therefore take not thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? …Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

“Your Father!”  What a tender, reassuring touch these words give.  “Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” 

Our heavenly Father does know our every want, desires and needs.  He is abundantly able and willing to provide.  “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).  There is no need in our life, however great or small, that God does not know and which He will not fill if it were necessary for our temporal and eternal happiness.  “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

How can I be sure that each succeeding day will find a sufficient measure of His grace and goodness to see me and my loved ones through?  John speaks of the heavenly glory of Jesus: “Of His fullness have all we received – and grace for grace.”  Literally, “grace upon grace.”  

Christ’s goodness pours in upon us as the waves of the sea.  As one wave comes crashing to shore, there is always another wave close behind.  As the next wave comes frothing in, there is another wave closely following, and another … and another.  Christ’s capacity and willingness to provide are like the unending waves of the sea …unlimited, inexhaustible - and eternal.

A well-to-do man died and left instructions to his wife to give a sizable portion of his wealth to a poor pastor who had ministered to the family throughout the years.  The widow thought it would be best to turn the money over to the pastor in regular installments.  So she mailed him a check for P5,000.00 as a start.  Inside the envelop she placed a slip of paper upon which was written: “MORE TO FOLLOW.” 

     Every two weeks, without fail, the elderly pastor would receive a check with the identical message: “MORE TO FOLLOW.”

“MORE TO FOLLOW!”  That is Christ’s unbreakable pledge to all that believe in Him.  THE BLESSINGS THAT WE RECEIVE TODAY ARE BUT A PLEDGE FOR THOSE THAT WE SHALL RECEIVE TOMORROW;

And those we receive tomorrow will bear the same pledge of heaven: “MORE TO FOLLOW.” 

”… His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

from the archives of grampa ewie

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