On the way to the YMCA, I saw an advertising sign in someone’s yard which was advertising a Gutter Cleaning service. I thought it stated “God’s” Gutter Service. However, on the return trip home, I looked again and saw that it said “Good’s Gutter Service”. That started me thinking!
Does God really offer us a gutter cleaning service? You bet He does!
When we hear the word “gutter”, we generally think about those long aluminum ducts along the edge of the roof on our house which catch the rainwater, steer it to the downspout at the corner of the house, into the dirt, and away from the house. They are important to the structural integrity of the house.
But they need to be kept clean. Clogged gutters are not good. When filled with leaves, twigs, and other debris, they cannot do their job of steering water away from the house, and the weight of it all can be detrimental to the house.
“Gutter” can also mean being in the lowest level or condition of human life.
We have seen many situations in the Bible where God used the lowest/weakest individuals, such as Moses and Gideon, to accomplish His plans rather than the most brilliantly qualified persons.
God wanted Moses to confront the king of Egypt and demand that the release the captive Israelites. Moses lacked the confidence in his abilities to do this, and he told God that he did not have the ability to speak eloquently to a king.
God also wanted Gideon to fight the Midianites. Gideon told God: “Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” (Judges 6:16)
The Bible tells us that God knew what each of these men’s abilities were, and they accomplished their tasks. Only God can do it!
As I envision people who are in the lowest times of their lives, I think of them in a “spiritual gutter”. They appear to be sinking into the depths but try as they might to clean themselves out of the gutter, they can’t seem to climb out. The trials and tribulations of life pummel down on people until they can’t make any headway out of life’s gutter. There is just too much weight on them.
God is drawn to those who are hurting, who are lonely, who are helpless, and who are weak. And He chooses to use men and women, who are considered nothing to the world, to accomplish His purposes. (https://www.findingpurpose.net/)
This is when God’s Gutter Service comes in! He always knows the best way to reach each person. Through His directed ways, He will scrape away the trials and tribulations, and all the debris that has accumulated in their lives. God will lift him out of the gutter and transform him into a child of God.
Like Moses or Gideon, how many times have you said: “That sounds like a great plan, God! But I really think you picked the wrong person”:
I can’t do it. Why would God call me? Because you are the perfect candidate! God wants to use those very weaknesses you think are barriers to build bridges for His blessing in your life. Those weaknesses will prevent you from trusting in your own ability and relying on your own strength. They will keep you humble and dependent on Him. (https://www.kerryshook.org/)
Yes, God has His own gutter service. He bestows His grace upon us – His grace that none of us deserves but He gladly gives to us.
Thanks for stopping by,
Rachel