When God Pulls Out All the Stops

When God Pulls Out All the Stops
John R. Petrilli

As a student in Bible School I used to love attending chapel. One of the reasons was the mighty pipe organ that graced the platform and roused the student body to wholehearted, exuberant worship. Especially thrilling were those moments when the organist would pull out all the stops and cut the gigantic instrument loose. The sound thundered through the auditorium like a freight train, momentarily convincing me I had died and gone to Heaven! When it comes to pouring out blessings upon His children, like that organist, God loves pulling out all the stops. If Thanksgiving is anything, it’s a celebration of the gracious bounty of God. We hear all about this divine trait in our seasonal songs, so let’s get out our spiritual microscopes and closely examine the Biblical description of our most generous God.

GOD PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS BECAUSE THAT’S WHO HE IS.

“And God passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and ABOUNDING in love.” Exo. 34:6

What part of Thanksgiving do you enjoy the most? I especially look forward to the festively decorated table, with its beautiful cornucopia centerpiece, filled with all manner of mouth-watering fruits, plump vegetables and lovely flowers. This tradition dates back to a day when our culture was primarily agrarian. It symbolizes the generosity of God. Many, however, suffer from a misconception we might call a “tight-wad God”. They don’t understand how big He desires to bless His people, so they pray small prayers and expect small answers. They often don’t even bother praying because their request, to them, seems like too much to ask of God.

We may need a heavy dose of good theology here. God tells Moses that He’s into blessing people out of their socks. As if a front row seat, personal, Mount Sinai encounter with God and reception of the 10 Commandments weren’t enough, God goes on to explain to Moses that abundance is the way He does things. Nothing done on the cheap here. Whether its compassion, grace, patience, love, or faithfulness, God has it, and He wants to shower it upon His people in abundance! He does so because that’s just His nature. God is actually EAGER to abundantly bless our lives! He pulls out all the stops!

GOD PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS WHEN WE OBEDIENTLY LIVE.

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3

As I write this I realize that the green trees outside my widow will soon turn to a flush of reds, yellows and browns. The Psalmist uses a flourishing tree to illustrate the abundant yield of an obedient life. If you want your life to bear more fruit of the Spirit, and more fruit in spiritual multiplication, listen to the Psalmist’s secret formula. Fruit bearing trees have their root systems firmly implanted into the right soil (saturation in God’s Word), and they drink deeply from a fresh water supply (“planted by the streams of water”). Such trees enjoy productivity, longevity, and prosperity. I challenge you to invest even a small amount of time in Bible reading, memorization, or meditation, and SEE if God doesn’t bless your life. As you expose your life to God’s Word, it will transform your way of thinking and behaving. I KNOW He will because this Psalm says so! Be Blessed!
Obedience will be a pleasure, not a pain! He pulls out all the stops!

GOD PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS WHEN WE FAITHFULLY GIVE.

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” Pro. 3:9-10

It never ceases to amaze me how the people of America give so generously. In the CNY area alone $330,968 was raised for Muscular Dystrophy during a recent telethon. When a major catastrophe strikes another country or even our own homeland, the vast majority of funding comes from individual gifts from plain old folks who just want to do something to help. Contrary to the mantras of Madison Ave., giving beats receiving by a mile! Jesus said so, and so did Paul (Acts 20:35)! Malachi reminds us that our contribution to the financial support of our pastors will trigger a windfall of divine blessing (Mal. 3:10). Luke tells us that we’ll never, ever succeed in outgiving God, because every time we put in, He multiplies our gift and throws it right back in our lap (Luke 6:38 ; 2 Cor. 9:6-11)! The writer of Proverbs informs us that God restocks our supply chain until we become “overstocked” (Pro. 3:9-10). He pulls out all the stops!

GOD PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS WHEN WE SACRIFICIALLY SERVE.

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age, and in the age to come, eternal life.” Mark 10:29-30

Many of us have likely felt the acute pain of homesickness sometime in our lives. Be it our first semester at college, living far away from relatives, or being stationed overseas, the pangs of separation can leave us longing for home and loved ones. Believe me, our missionary friends know this experience all too well. But to those who give themselves to such sacrificial service, our Lord promises to faithfully provide “spiritual surrogates”, people to whom they can share their lives with. What’s more, this provision is depicted by Jesus as most generous, replacing each separated loved one with scores of replacement friends. Again, the Lord doesn’t skimp whatsoever in meeting this critical social need. There’s more than enough. He pulls out all the stops!

GOD PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS WHEN WE HUMBLY RETURN TO HIM.

“He arose and came to his father. When he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him … the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry.’ ” Luke 15:20-23

One step. That’s all it took to put the prodigal on the path away from hearth and home. Having partied his way into poverty, he woke up and took one more step. This time in the direction heading back toward his dad. Ever notice how the son WALKED up the road while the father RAN to meet and welcome him back home? Once the two were reunited it was REAL party time! Look how the father celebrates. He pulls out all the stops! No expense of food, clothing or jewelry was too great. It was the very best, and there was lots of it! In this unforgettable parable Jesus paints for us a picture of the lavish way God bestows His forgiveness, mercy and grace upon all that are broken, beaten, bruised, but returning to Him. Like an excited parent witnessing their baby’s first steps, God rushes to our side to cheer us on and bless us as we take each step that heads us back in His direction!

“Delight in abundance – the abundance God gives you, both material and spiritual. Especially delight in the abundance of joy that comes from His presence.” – Billy Graham