God’s Amazing Hands

“Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death:
that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in newness of life” Romans 6:4

John Newton was born in London, England in 1725 to a Protestant mother and a father who was a ship captain. His mother died when he was almost seven years old, and as a boy, he joined his father on his many voyages. John followed in his father’s footsteps and became a ship captain working in the transatlantic slave trade. During a voyage home a horrendous storm blew in, putting the ship’s crew and passengers in great danger. He prayed to God. The storm passed and the ship was safe. John took all of this as a sign from God. It was a defining moment for him and inspired his faith. Gradually he changed. He went on to become an ordained Church of England clergyman in 1764. He took his duties seriously preaching tirelessly to his large poor congregation. He wrote the words to the popular hymn “Amazing Grace”. Other of his most notable contributions also included “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken” and “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds”. He was truly transformed by his faith.

In the Bible, King Nebuchadnezzar experienced a similar transformation. It took the miracle of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego surviving the fiery furnace (see Daniel 3:24-30) for Nebuchadnezzar to come to faith and truly believe in God. Like John Newton and King Nebuchadnezzar, we too can be transformed. Through Christ, we are all made new. When we spend time in His Word and live, in obedience to it, we are made new.