Throughout the years whenever someone has asked me how the church is going, I always try to give an honest answer and not try to pretend that everything is great. This has led to some interesting discussions because there has definitely been ups and downs in this journey. But in this season of the church’s life, I can honestly say things are going great. Our attendance is increasing, the Youth Ministry has doubled, our new Foundations class is going great, small groups continue to meet needs and people are coming to faith in Christ regularly and we are being a blessing to our community and the world. Our staff is talented and unified, worship services are going great, and people are giving generously. This is a great season at Westbrook.
Recently in my study of scripture, the phrase “God’s gracious hand” has stuck out to me. It is used in the story of Joseph in Genesis. It is very cool to realize that the text says that Joseph was successful at leading because the gracious hand of God was upon him. Genesis 39:3 says, “Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand.” It says that God was with him and so he was successful. I am sure Joseph had talent and leadership ability, but the text says that God was with him and that made the difference. Nehemiah had the same experience as he led. It says in the last part of Nehemiah 2:8, “…And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.” Then it says about John the Baptist in Luke 1:66 that, “For the Lord’s hand was with him.”
The most important thing to realize is that we are in this season at Westbrook because God’s gracious hand is upon us. The Lord is with us and the Lord is causing all that we do to prosper.
We know that not every season of life is like this, but when it is let’s enjoy it and give God the praise for His gracious hand!