God's Instrument

by Macy Johnson

“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

(Matthew 5:42 NIV)

The piano is my instrument. I am God’s instrument. He coats my mind and the piano’s stretched strings with tones to bless others and point them to Him. 

Every time I look down at black and white keys I confess, “Lord, I cannot do this. Please do it through me.” I don’t understand how it works, how He meticulously deposits harmonious vibrations into His creation. It’s a mystery. He gets all the glory.

Bless This House

by Macy Johnson

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

(Proverbs 16:3 NIV)

Bible verses are inscribed on the wooden frames of our new house. God’s words above doorways and windows, hidden under sheet-rock and paint, remind my husband and me who the ultimate property-owner is.

Our new home took 3 years, 3 sets of drawings and 3 builders to complete. We had our plans, our timetable, but God had something better in mind.

The Least-Likely Servant

by Macy Johnson

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I,

that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’”

(Exodus 3:11 NIV)

“Not me, Lord! Surely someone else is better suited.” Have you ever uttered those words? If so, you’re in good company.

Moses was rescued from certain death, adopted as a son in Egypt’s royal family, and called by God to lead His people out of slavery. He had a lot on his plate, including a silver spoon. When Moses tried to fulfill God’s calling his own way, murderous actions forced a desert escape. Forty years later, Moses, well past his prime, was again called by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. “I’m not qualified! I’m a failure,” he argued.

Out of Your Comfort Zone

by Macy Johnson

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send?

And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”

(Isaiah 6:8 NIV)

What is a Child Passenger Safety Technician? Three months ago I didn’t know. Our local crisis pregnancy center director asked, “Who will take my place as CPST?” I accepted the challenge.

My first assignment was to observe a class. The second was to attend three days of intense training two hours away. Off I go to Cartersville, Georgia for three nights at the Hampton Inn.

Leaning on the Holy Spirit

by Macy Johnson

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”

(1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV)

My family likes to tease me. I’m a klutz.

When we are out together and come upon a curb in a parking lot, they become circus clowns, stumbling, bumbling over the tiny blob of raised cement.

It all started on a trip to Washington, DC, several years ago. Strolling through a restaurant parking lot, I tripped over a curb and clumsily danced in a circle to avoid falling. What a scene!

The Good Shepherd

by Macy Johnson

“I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”

(John 10:14 NIV)

Christ’s followers are “Sheep In Training (SIT).” They sit and wait on Jesus, the perfect Shepherd. He tends His sheep, placing their needs before His. They faithfully follow Him wherever He leads, eternally connected, the sheep and the Shepherd.

Following God Into the Desert

by Macy Johnson

“Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.” (Deuteronomy 8:2 NIV)

Like a devoted father, God deliberately shows up where we are. He leads us on adventures through the desert, sweeping away all distractions. He is all we really have, all we really need.

In January 2005, a Sarbanes-Oxley audit team leader asked me to get on a plane in Birmingham and fly to California. “You want me to do what?” I asked, suspiciously.