The Words of Grace

by Pastor Ron Isam

Click Here for PDF copy of March 2010 Volume 12 Issue 3 Newsletter

As we all know it is not unusual for us to have a lot of wind this time of year. It seems like the winds of change are always upon us.

Recently there was a horrible earthquake in Haiti. Now today, as I am writing this they have said there was another horrible earthquake (8.8) in Chile. Someone estimated this earthquake was 900 times worse than Haiti. There were also threats of tsunami storms in Hawaii. These world events are horrible and many lives have and may still be lost because of these tragedies.

This week there was a scare at our local Community College about a possible gunman. Megan Cramer was in the classroom that it originated in. Though it proved out to be a false alarm it was scary. These things happen on campuses far away but in Oklahoma City?

Incidentally, that very morning a special ed teacher was shot and killed by a man apparently infatuated with her. Wow, I hope no one is infatuated with me like that. Not as close to home, but our very own Donna Peck was in that area on her trip.

The world has seemed to get smaller. The winds seem to have caused that to come about. The winds of change continue to touch the world both Christian and non-Christian.

I read another very disturbing survey where the ways of the world’s thinking was almost identical numbers to those who call themselves Christ followers.

The Bible is full of passages about wind. In Job, it was that God controls the “winds” and how much “rain” it will bring on our road to wisdom. There are no promises that God’s people will not experience difficult times. Just that He has provided a way of escape. 1 Cor. 10:13

In the Psalms it says that the winds are our messengers. Ezekiel refers to the winds bringing the breath into the dry bones in the valley. Maybe His wind of grace needs to breathe fresh life into your dream or vision that has taken a hit.

The winds can bring the trials and it can also bring the answer. It was Jesus’ control of the “winds” that really impressed the disciples. In Matthew 8 Jesus slept right through a storm arising on the sea, but when He rebuked the winds and they obeyed they were really impressed.

Maybe you have experienced some winds of opposition in your life, I know I have. The winds can destroy or they can show just how strong we are. Matthew 7:24-27. It all depends on how strong we are built into the foundation of Jesus Christ our Lord.