Works of God Monday

Usually, I post mostly about what God has done in our family, in my life. But sometimes, God works in my life through the lives of others to open my eyes to the bigger, worldwide picture of how He is changing others, making His name known in other parts of the world.

We've been talking to the junior high teens about God's Sovereignty in salvation - how the minute details of how someone hears and accepts the gospel are carefully orchestrated by God, and have been, since eternity past. Which, when I think about it too much, totally blows my mind. As Michael is fond of saying, we have "puny little brains" and there are some things about God that are a mystery to us. When our logic fails, we can trust God - that His Word is true and never changes.

Back when I was in high school, (which is getting to be more of a historical time period by the year) I was blessed to be able to take a ministry-focused class for girls from Nancy Walter, on furlough from her first term to Bangladesh. We learned so much about the realities and blessings of missions/ministry, and it was then that I became aware of a people group without a written language, and as would naturally be the case in an unwritten language, without a translation of Scripture. The Chittagonian-speaking people of Bangladesh.

The Walters have had various areas of ministry over the years, in several locations - keeping them very busy and impacting many people. Nancy shared with us in their update at church last night that there are some very exciting things happening with their ministry in the specific area of Bible translation. They are at a point where portions of Scripture are almost complete - they are hoping for the first 5 books (the Pentateuch) in the next year! Eventually, the passages will be able to be recorded on locked Mp3 players and distributed to people who have never heard the Bible in their own language!

And I was thinking about that - never hearing the Bible in your own language. I was (and am) overcome with many different emotions. We can't ever fully get how big of a deal that is, as our experiences color our view. Just like we can intellectually understand that people worldwide are killed for their faith, but that fact doesn't quite sink in, either, at least not for me.

But God is so GOOD, so HUGE, so Indescribable. He not only allows us to watch Him working, to be involved in the process, He works together the smallest details to create the stories that we know as our salvation testimonies. Occasionally we get to see a glimpse - the tiniest glimpse - of Him. Someday, there will be some Chittagonian-speaking Bengali who hears the gospel in his own heart-language and who will come to realize that he is a sinner, in need of a Savior. And he will have a story that has been orchestrated by God before time began.

I am humbled, amazed, and praising the Lord!! What did it take for my story to be written? For your story? So many details that I cannot even begin to keep track of, and yet, they are simple for God - and He has ordered and kept the details for every person who has ever lived and ever will live!

So, how has God been working in your family this week? How has He shown you His goodness, greatness, and power? Please share!

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up..." 1 Thess. 5:11

In the Mister Linky widget below, simply type your name in the top box, or a short description of the work that God has done, and then in the second box, paste the link from your specific "Works of God Monday" post. If you don't have a blog, use the comment section! Feel free to use the image from the top of this post if you like.



Next week, let's have a salvation testimony week, shall we? Would you think about and work on and pray through whether God would have you share your personal testimony on your blog? I think it would be very encouraging to read YOUR story and praise God at His work in your life.