He Gives More than Shovelfuls
God is a shoveler. He shovels by the shovelful — not by a measly spoonful. I know The Shoveler! I am a recipient of God’s amazing grace (the free and unmerited favor of God) that is more than I could ever ask for or even think. In fact, my attempt to “measure” God’s grace in any way is pitiful because His love and grace is measureless. I realized that even more as I thought of an old song and researched its author.
Annie Johnson Flint, was one of the greatest songwriters of all times. But her writings were not from the comfort of a cozy chair at a desk or at the beach in a lounge chair. Orphaned at the age of six when she lost her parents, by her early 20’s as a school teacher, she developed rheumatoid arthritis and was twisted up in her bed for many decades. She had so many boils and marks on her body from lying in bed that she had to have eight pillows to cushion her body. She also had cancer and before she died, she was losing her sight. BUT she still knew the measureless grace of God when she wrote this hymn:
“He Giveth More Grace”
by Annie Johnson Flint – (1866-1932)
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase
To added affliction He addeth His mercy
To multiplied trials His multiplied peace.
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure
His power has no boundary known unto men
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure
His power has no boundary known unto men
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
If anyone could have written dark and depressing lyrics, it would have been someone like Anne Flint. Instead, she focused on Jesus and the lyrics that she was inspired to write were of hope and faith. This is not “feel good” faith. This is a desperate clinging to the only hope humanity has. We cling to the reality of an empty tomb for the strength to live in a world that has caused men and women far greater than ourselves to surrender to hopelessness.
The message of our Christian faith is the realization that when our strength is gone, like in a tag team wrestling match, we tap out and let God do the fighting for us.
I sing songs like “He Giveth More Grace” as a prayer: “God give me the faith of people like Anne Flint, and give me the wisdom to seek Your strength and not mine.”
Today, I encourage you to grasp the love and grace of God that Annie knew. He came all the way to us from heaven. He relentlessly pursues us. And, when we know that’s true, it will be shown in how we love and interact with others. The question is: “What do we do with all that love; all that grace; all that mercy; all that goodness?” How can we say to others, “I’ll think about forgiving you” or “I’ll think about helping you” when we have been so forgiven and so helped? If we consider the outrageous, indescribable love of God to us that gives and gives and gives even more, then how could we give less than our best to God and to others?