Redemption makes beauty out of baseness, a brilliant God at work where we least expect him to be.
The grit and the glory come wrapped in the same story.
The grit-level view is familiar—we walk it every day.
Random conversations, petty hurts and catastrophic headlines all jumble together like puzzle pieces still in the box. We are used to it. The aches and pains of aimless effort seem normal. It is what it is, our motto.
What is there to do except stack our pieces higher or collect the prettiest ones in a pile?
Does life come to us by chance, or by grace, or by divine intention? When we turn the box cover over we understand. The tired, dusty grit of life is being fashioned into glory.
From Grit To Glory
The second half of Genesis reads like a soap opera, with Jacob and Joseph its dubious heroes. Chapter after chapter reek of revenge, rivalry, deception, manipulation, betrayal, desperation–a dysfunctional family tale. Brother tricked, brother sold, brothers afraid, brothers saved. From of the muck of sibling rivalry, God forges a nation of tribes and saves his people from famine.
But, more important, God fulfills his promise to Abraham. A shrewd and savvy puzzle master, he moves among unwilling pieces—not wasting, but waiting. Divine redemption transforms us, one stubborn heart at a time. At the close of Genesis, Joseph catches a glimpse of the puzzle box cover and sings, “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good….” (Genesis 50:20).
Can you take a moment to sing along? To all that hurts or annoys me, or threatens to destroy me–you mean it to harm me but God will use it for good (repeat).
A Daily Prayer For Glory
I give you the pieces of my life, the wretched, the mundane, and the lovely.
Take my mistakes, my triumphs, and my sin.
Take the resentments I’ve hoarded, the cruelty I’ve endured, and the hurt I’ve inflicted.
Take my boredom, my worry, my contentment, my smothering, any kindness you find or gratitude uncovered, any joy or pleasure I hold to my heart.
Save what you can, deliver me where needed. Use everything to fulfill your sharp-eyed vision, squeeze every drop of meaning to reclaim me as your own.
Use it all for your glory. Use it all to bless the world. May my life look more like the puzzle box cover because I let you have your way with the pieces.
Amen. Let it be so.
Where do you long to see God bringing glory out of the grit of your world?
In our series, An Alphabet Adagio, we are savoring the story of the Bible, our story, alphabetically. You can subscribe to e-mail above so you won’t miss a letter. Next: H is for Holy.
