God Moving His Mighty Hand

When is the last time you read the book called Judges in the Old Testament? I’ll confess that this is one of the most difficult for me to read. It’s not because it is filled with the Law, like Leviticus, or because it has never ending lists (Numbers) or genealogies (1 Chronicles). It’s because I see myself in the description of God’s people during the days of the judges. The plot is rather simple. God shows up and blesses Israel and they praise Him for His provision. Then, they basically say, “We’ve got it from here, Lord,” and they proceed to ignore Him and His commands and to pursue after other gods, “After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals” (Judges 2:10-11). Time and time again, they would forget the Lord and wander. And time and time again, the Lord would allow their enemies to oppress them. Then they would cry out again and the Lord would answer by sending a deliverer. And the cycle starts all over again.

In the times of my greatest failures, I realized that I was doing what seemed right in my own mind and not abiding in the Lord. It’s not that I was doing “bad” things; it’s that I was working out my plans under my power. They were times when I essentially said, “I have it from here, Lord. You can go help someone else who really needs it.” How arrogant! How foolish!

A mentor of mine taught me godly leadership this way, “Remember the sons of Issachar. They are commended in Scripture for their wisdom in this way, ‘men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do’” (1 Chronicles 12:32). He impressed upon me that the job of the leader is to discern where God is moving His mighty hand and to get right there and “ride the wave,” to use my Southern California lingo. And my experience has been that, when you do that, it’s like riding a tsunami!

We are in the midst of perhaps the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Everyone is affected, even if they still have a steady income. I trust that God’s people are calling out to Him to rescue us, to rescue this nation. Both inside and outside of the church, people are looking for deliverance. Many hope that our new president is the one whom God has sent. I won’t speak to that. I will tell you where I see God moving His hand. It’s right here at Grace Church.

We just launched our new food ministry, Taste of Grace. We had dozens of people in the church indicate that they wanted to be involved in this benevolence-based outreach. Their hearts were for hurting families, both inside and outside of our congregation. They brought diverse passions. Some wanted to see mommies take excellent care of their children. Some wanted to see our church demonstrate its compassion in a tangible way. Some wanted to reach out into our communities and meet people at a basic need in order to begin the process of helping them move to where God wants them to be. In a mere six weeks, we formed a leadership committee which carried this ministry from concept to reality. And it was clear that God was moving among the people at Grace since we generated orders for 166 boxes with very little promotion.

Here are some comments that have come in to the Taste of Grace email account (tasteofgrace@lgbc.org):

I just learned of this extraordinary opportunity regarding, "Food for All". I see that I missed the cutoff to apply for July. Is there any possible way to place an order for July? I have two children, ages six and eight and was laid off the end of May. I could really use the help. If not, is there a cancellation list in case someone does not show up to pick up their order? My phone number is . I live right down the street from Grace so it would not be a problem if it were last minute. I would be more than happy to come if someone cancels......Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly. I will be there by noon on July 11th. I am so excited and grateful that the girls and I may be able to purchase groceries inexpensively. It's been difficult and brings tears to my eyes that you provide such help:) What a blessing to learn about your program. Thank you so much for providing such a wonderful benefit. When I start working again, I will be happy to help contribute donations and provide help with distribution to give back!

Good morning – one of your church members told me about the Taste of Grace food ministry you are operating. My husband and I are interested in participating. I searched your website for details but couldn't find answers to some of our questions. What's the scoop? How can we be involved? I'll check back when the August menu is posted. This is an awesome ministry! Thanks

Good Morning Pastor Steve, I hope this finds you healthy & well. I saw you in the lobby yesterday prior to the 10 am service and wanted to talk to you about The Taste of Grace Ministry. Sunday mornings are a busy time and you were chatting with several people and I thought it best to catch you today via email. I’ve been attending Lititz Grace for the past 2 years. I actually met you last fall at a CONNECT meeting. I’ve been praying for quite some time as to how I could serve God and utilize my passion for healthy & wellness at LGBC. When Pastor Scott announced Taste of Grace, I got very excited. I’m an Oncology Nutritionist and in the past I have taught nutrition classes as a ministry to people within the church body, to help them learn about good stewardship of the body God has blessed us all with. As a dietitian, I know that we need nutritious food to give us strength and energy and those principles are also found within God’s Word. As a part of Taste of Grace are you interested in providing any nutrition teaching in handouts or other forms to participants? I would love to provide any service I can in this area.

Hi. My wife and I were wondering if you need things like loose leaf lettuce and spinach to give to people? Let us know.

It’s clear to me that God has prepared Grace Church to reach out through the Taste of Grace ministry. He has allowed the times. He has provided the workers and prepared the hearts. And He is drawing the people. My hope and prayer for the people of Grace Church is that they would be faithful. The leadership of Taste of Grace is doing all that they know to do. We have a marketing team that is distributing brochures to places where people in need gravitate (schools, social services, fire, police, etc.). But the most effective method of getting the word out will continue to be a grassroots movement. Take literature to those you know, especially those who don’t know the Lord, those who are looking for a cause, or those who can benefit from affordable groceries. Buy boxes and take them to the desperate, widows, the fatherless. Do you have other ideas? Comment on this post or email Taste of Grace (tasteofgrace@lgbc.org).

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Get yourself into position where God is moving His hand and enjoy the ride of your life!