Grace in the Fire

Have you been surprised by God? God heals us in a different way.

When a person spurred on spreading rumours, I went and asked God for an answer. I was reading Romans 1 and 2. In Romans 1, it is written that God let some do things that they can never do. So what is such a thing? The verse goes like this: “Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarrelling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.”

The last word GOSSIP was a total surprise to me. I took the same issue to God, and God really showed me that He has already written about it in His words. I understood that God is very serious about us not indulging in gossip.

So I was waiting for God to say that He will stop it, or that He will do something to the person who spread gossip against me like wildfire. But God, in His way, surprised me. He asked me to continue reading the second chapter and asked me to remember how much grace He has shown unto me—and I have to do the same to the person who is speaking tirelessly against me.

It is in the verse: “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?” The verse continues, saying He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.

When I read God’s Word, He turned the focus on me, asking me to press forward in doing good—be patient, kind, and tolerant, as God is to me. And He showed me how pearls are made. Whenever an oyster produces a pearl, it is not because it is completely protected. It is because it is getting attacked, gets wounds, and receives healing.

When God wants us to be like a precious oyster that produces more precious pearls, there is no other way but to endure the hurts, the wounds, and allow God to heal—and let a pearl form in us.

Dear God, we submit everything we go through into Your hands that heal us. Heal us, Lord, and may we produce pearls of great worth for You, our Master. Help us to forgive others as You have forgiven us. We submit our complete will into Your hands. Keep us as the apple of Your eye, Lord. Hold our hands, dear Shepherd, and lead us to the gentle stream, to the still waters. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.