God in heaven
holds
each person by
a string.
When you sin, you cut
the string.
Then God ties
it up again,
making a knot –
and thereby bringing
you
a little closer to Him.
Again
and
again
your sins cut the
string –
and with each
further knot God
keeps drawing you
closer and
closer
and closer.
From “What’s so amazing about grace?” by Phillip Yansey
scripture
1 Timothy 6:17-18
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
quote
Ever seen the bumper sticker that reads God Bless America? Hasn’t God already blessed us?
Rob Bell, NOOMA video “Rich”
illustration
Imagine with me a bottomless pitcher full of punch. Beside it sits a large glass bowl with a tall glass in the middle of it. I take the bottomless pitcher of punch and begin to pour it into the tall glass. When it reaches the top of the tall glass I don’t stop pouring. I continue pouring until it runs over the top rim and begins to fill the large glass bowl.
The pitcher of punch symbolizes the limitless blessings of God. The tall glass symbolizes our lives and the large bowl symbolizes others lives around us. In our minds we think that the blessings of God are ours. We have this idea that as God showers down blessings that we are running around with an upside down umbrella trying to catch it. But God says that He wants to fill our cup and to make it overflow. We cannot contain all the blessings that He gives and they are not to be contained. He blesses us to the point that it overflows because He wants us to use those blessings to bless others.
