Pastor Ray's Blog

    
Dear Friends,

I can no longer count on my gas gauge to give me an accurate reading of how many miles I can drive before it is time to stop and get more fuel. On a recent trip I noticed that it had begun acting funny. I would stop the car and the gauge would read let’s say a quarter of a tank. The next time I would start it up again it would go to one half or three quarters and then suddenly it would drop back down to one quarter. Now it goes up and down randomly and for no apparent reason. Needless to say, I no longer trust it to give an accurate reading of how much gas is actually in my tank. Fortunately I noticed that it was inaccurate before becoming stranded somewhere having run out of gas. After 160,000 miles one has to expect a few things on a car to stop working and in the grand scheme of things this is relatively minor. I could have it repaired but my guess is, it would cost more than I want to pay and I do have an alternative plan. Now I simply keep track of how many miles I’ve driven by setting the trip counter on the odometer. I know about how many miles I can drive before needing to refuel and I make sure I fill up well before reaching that point. I’ve discovered I can handle an inconsistent gas gauge. It may be a bit of a nuisance, but I know what I need to do to work around it.

When it comes to my car there are certain inconsistencies that I simply couldn’t tolerate. For example if it started inconsistently something would have to change. I need to know that when I turn the key the car’s engine is going to spring to life. If the brakes stopped inconsistently I would be in trouble. I need to know that when I push that peddle I’m going to stop. There are certain things about our automobiles that we have to be able to rely on.

As I have pondered my inconsistent fuel gauge somehow it has made me appreciate all the more the things in life that I know are trustworthy. Have you ever thought how impossible life would be if we could not count on God to be dependable in the way he relates to us?

What if, for example, God’s grace was inconsistent? What if we never knew from one day to the next whether God was going to extend his love to us? How could we possibly live with any sense of joy and fulfillment?

In the compelling 8th chapter of Romans Paul tells us, “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth; nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Can you hear Paul saying, you don’t have to worry about God’s love being unpredictable. In fact, nothing will ever be able to separate you from his amazing love and grace.  In the midst of a world that at times seems inconsistent and out of control, I’m glad there are certain things I can count on to be trustworthy. God’s grace and love would be on the top of that list.

Together with you in Christ’s service,