Dear Southern Gables Friends,

Steve Morris was like most nine-year-olds. But there were a few exceptions. He was black, he lived in a Detroit slum and he was blind.

Each time the kids went out to play, Steve was frustrated because he could not play with them. While the others learned arithmetic, history and spelling, Steve Morris was unable to assimilate most of the information. He became more and more discouraged because his blindness was keeping him back.

One day at school there was a scratching noise in the classroom. "It's a mouse," someone screamed as the girls climbed on their chairs. "Relax, everybody," the teacher told the class. Then she asked Steve to tell them where the mouse was.

Now the center of attention, Steve Morris smiled broadly. "Quiet, everybody," he said confidently. From the silence, Steve proudly announced: "He's over there!" And sure enough, he was. Then as the custodian dealt with the mouse and the class went back to their studies, Steve became aware of something remarkable. Steve Morris learned that God had given him a keen sense of hearing to compensate for the sight he never had.

Years went by and Steve Morris used those marvelous ears to hone his musical talents. He went on to earn nine U.S. number-one hits and 150 million albums sold world-wide. He has over thirty top ten hits, twenty-six Grammy Awards, an Academy Award for Best Song and was inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Who is this blind kid that had everything stacked against him and rose above it all? You know him as "Stevie Wonder."

I think Stevie Wonder is a living illustration of the wonders God can do with weaknesses. God can take broken things and make beauty. God can take problems and turn them into opportunities. God can take defeats and turn them into victories. That's just the way our wonderful God works. He chooses the "weak things of the world" (1 Corinthians 1:27) and use them for His grand purposes.

It is in the tough places of life that God is able to speak to you and to me. He tells us what God told the Apostle Paul so long ago: "My grace is sufficient for you for My power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Our weaknesses are God-given in order to exhibit His power. When you are able to rise above your handicaps and heartaches, God can demonstrate to the world His great power in your circumstances. When you are able to trust God for your limitations and liabilities, you will see the magnificent height of God's great plan for your life. When you come to the end of your resources, you are forced to look up in humble dependence upon God.

Dear friend, God uses your weaknesses for a good end. It is in the job losses, financial set-backs, illnesses, disappointments, struggles, or whatever you are up against, that God shows us His great power. The hard things are the "mice" in your life that God will use to make you a wonder of His grace.

So this week, you need to trust the sovereignty of God. Stand on His promises and in the strength of His might. Know His great power for your life. Rely upon His strength and not your own. Put your life in His most capable hands. Yield to God and let Him run your life for your good and His glory. Rest assured in the confidence that He does all things well. And then, rejoice in whatever He sends whether hard or easy.

I encourage you to be with us in worship of our great God this Sunday. For the last several Sundays, we have been looking at God's songbook, the Book of Psalms, to learn lessons for our lives. This Sunday, we will be looking at Psalm 19 to hear the voice God. I have titled this message, "How Does God Speak?" This would be a good message to bring a seeking friend to hear. Like most Sundays, I will give an opportunity for people to invite our Lord Jesus into their hearts and lives while teaching believers what the passage means and how it applies to their lives too.

• 9:00 AM Worship — praise, worship, and songs of the faith
• 10:30 AM Worship — songs of the faith, praise and worship

I love being your pastor!

Pastor Mark Platt

mplatt@sgc.org