Showing God’s Grace at Work
11/13/25 Adrian Vanderwoude-YBL Financial Advisor
When one looks around today it doesn’t take long to see strife in the marketplace and in the world. What does God’s Word tell us about how we should act amid this battle of good and evil? How do we follow Jesus’s example and show God’s love to others?
Paul Tripp in his “Wednesday’s Word Devotional” does an excellent job of describing how this should impact believers in their own lives, but also in sharing God’s love with others. Please read his devotional below.
I was sitting in a frustrating traffic jam the other day, where construction had closed off most of the lanes on the highway, and everyone had to merge into a single file of cars.
People were actually submitting to the traffic laws and signs around them! No one was shooting at each other or using their vehicles as a weapon to ram into other cars. There was order and restraint. The world, despite being deeply broken, was still operating with some level of sanity.
It was a powerful display of the restraining grace of God. Why? Because driving each automobile was a selfish, self-focused, self-oriented, sinful human being who believes that the world should revolve around them, that their need is most important, and that they should get to their destination first. Yet for the most part, everyone was courteously allowing the next person in front of them to merge.
Each driver was not a redeemed child of God, motivated by the Holy Spirit in that moment to love their neighbor. Rather, God, in the generous grandeur of his grace, restrains the sin in the world so it does not reach the level of horror that it potentially could without his restraining grace.
Similarly, God “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).
God not only blesses those who are close to him, but also those who are in rebellion against his law. God is a God of such incredible love, kindness, patience, and mercy that he lavishes his goodness on everybody.
God is gloriously gracious, and there is an agenda of grace every day in our world that makes this world not only livable, but enjoyable and pleasurable.
May we be grateful for the restraining grace that prevents the world from becoming as chaotic as it should be. May we celebrate common grace that shines and rains on every undeserving sinner.
But most of all, may we seek redeeming grace. May we cry out for transforming, redeeming grace in our own hearts and lives. And may we look for every opportunity to participate in and share the Good News of redeeming grace with our lost and broken world, even as we experience the blessings of restraining and common grace every day.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.” (Ephesians 1:7–10)
It is a beautiful thing, but most people don’t see it. It is a never-ceasing gift, yet most of us don’t respond with gratitude. It is essential to our well-being, but we cling to the delusion of our self-sufficiency.
The order, livability, regularity, safety and progress of the human community is a sign of your presence, your power, your wisdom, your rule, your love and your grace.
Since the horrible entrance of sin into this world, a world now populated by those who are rebels against your will, you would expect the world to explode into dark unlivable chaos, but you exercise your power for our common good, restraining, guiding, protecting, intervening, keeping evil from running rampant.
In this way everyone experiences the fruit of your presence and your grace. We do not now live in paradise, but without this exercise of common grace, things would be unthinkably dark.
But there is more. You bless your creatures with gifts, bringing life, beauty, health, pleasure, wisdom, insight, understanding and new beginnings, not things to be earned, but gifts of your love.
Every scientist, innovator, researcher, philosopher, inventor, educator, playwright, composer, novelist, painter, chef, governor, policeman, dancer, weaver, carpenter, architect, builder, engineer, musician, coach, counselor, mechanic, sculptor. pastor, gardener, housewife employs gifts given by you.
You find joy in giving what is needed for your image bearers to thrive. Every new thing conceived by human minds, created by human hands, contributing to human welfare, is a gift of your grace.
You have built into your creatures a desire to create. From the drawings of a child to the decoration of a home, to the design of machines, you wired us to create, because you love for us to thrive.
Yes, we are broken, we don’t always use our gifts for good, but every day our lives are enhanced by the restraint of sin and by innumerable gifts of your grace. The sun shines on the righteous and the unrighteous. Your good gifts are given not because we are deserving, but because you are good.
A Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to see your goodness and grace in the parts of my life where I’m prone to ignoring you and your gifts to me. I’m often blinded by my schedule, my routine, my needs, my wants, and my desires. My blindness to your grace pushes me toward entitlement, and I need your forgiveness. Help me to see with fresh eyes all that you do in this world, and may I respond with worship and gratitude. Thank you for the beauty of your common grace that lavishes me and everyone around me with unending reminders that you are good and loving. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.