Undeserved Grace (1 Chronicles 17:16)

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?
—1 Chronicles 17:16

I love that verse, 1 Chronicles 17:16. Just let it soak in. David is receiving these promises of blessing from God, and his question is, “Who am I? Who am I that you would bless me like this, God? What is my house that you’ve brought me thus far? God, that you would use me in this way or that way?” Don’t we all feel this before God?

1 Chronicles 17:16 reminds us that the gospel is an undeserved gift.

I think about how we pray on this podcast for unreached people like today for the Baliaga and these remote tribes in Bali, the Baliaga people, who have little to no knowledge of the name of Jesus. Many Baliaga people are born and live and die without ever hearing the good news of how they can be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus. Why were you and I not born among the Baliaga, and why was I born into a place where I’ve heard the gospel almost since the moment I was born? Why is that? And why have I heard about God’s love in Jesus all my life? I had nothing to do with where I was born. God, who am I? I don’t deserve this.

There’s so much mystery even when I ask that question. When we think about God’s grace in our lives, when we think about 3.2 billion people who need the gospel and have not heard the good news of God’s grace in Jesus, why us? Why haven’t they heard? I don’t know all the answers to the question of why me, but I do know this. I’ve been given the gospel for a reason, and you have been given the gospel for a reason. And it’s not just for us. It’s for us to spread to everybody on the planet, to every people group in the world.

1 Chronicles 17:16 teaches us to respond to God’s grace with humility.

And so can we just pause today and pray God, who are we? Who am I? I voice that on behalf of every single person right now. None of us deserve to be in your presence right now. None of us deserve to be in a relationship with you. And none of us deserve eternal life with you. We all deserve eternal condemnation before you. Who are we that we know you and that we have whatever resources we might have today that would enable us to listen to a podcast or do a podcast? Who are we that we have food and water and shelter and friends, family, or education, or healthcare? God, who are we? These are all pictures of your grace in our lives, and we praise you for them.

And at the same time, we pray, God, may your grace in us be a great effect for your glory through us, that more and more people might hear of your grace and find themselves before you saying, “Who am I?”

A Prayer for the Baliaga People

God, we pray that for the Baliaga people, God, we pray that they would hear the gospel, believe the gospel, and begin to pray, “Who am I, that you have shown me this grace?” We pray that the gospel would continue to spread through them, beyond them. God, we pray for the spread of your grace among 3.2 billion unreached people in the world today. Thank you, God, for your grace in our lives. We pray this in light of 1 Chronicles 17:16. In Jesus’ name. Amen.