A Word from Pastor Stephen – May 18, 2020

You hem me in behind and before,and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too lofty for me to attain. (Psalm 139:5-6 NIV)

One of the reasons I love being a Methodist is the emphasis we place on grace. Grace is the unearned, unmerited love and favor of God. It is a free gift from God and our only response is gratitude. Remember the beautiful words of Saint Paul in Ephesians? “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God.” (Eph. 2:8).

Our founder, John Wesley, wrote about prevenient grace. It is the grace that always goes before you. It is the grace that meets you around each corner. There is no circumstance, no hardship, no temptation, no pain, no struggle that Jesus is not already there, ready to meet you and carry you through. It is the grace that allows you to even respond to Jesus in the first place.

Our Psalm gives voice to this grace when it states that God hems you in behind and before. The hand of God is always upon you. I hope it gives you comfort to know that you are hemmed in with the love of God and that His hand is always upon you. For the Psalmist this knowledge was almost too wonderful to bear. We do well to remember that everything, and I mean everything, is a gift from God. Amen.