Masterpiece

"For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained fro me were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

How amazing are your thoughts concerning me, God!

How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand--

when I awake,

I am still with you."

Psalm 139:13-18

I am a masterpiece.  I am not being arrogant or narcissistic when I make such a claim, but am acknowledging the work of my Maker's hand.  How can this attitude, which is so often hard to come by, change my life?

Thoughts of Me?  I sometimes think about what it would be like to be President of the United States, carrying the load of that office on my shoulders.  There must be a thousand details to take care of in the course of a day, and while he has a staff to help him track his responsibilities, the buck stops with him.  He is ultimately in charge and therefore accountable for every action he takes, all the decisions he makes, and the directions he follows.  And each and every one influences millions of people.  Whew!  Talk about pressure!

Now multiply that by a million and I have an inkling of God's position in the heavenlies, reigning over all the earth in majesty and glory.  With all that He has on His plate, why on earth would He ever think about me?  Or for that matter, how on earth would He ever have time to give me a second thought, let alone a first one?  But He does.  His eye is on me, tracking my comings and goings, and He actually thinks about me more than I could ever imagine.  Can I picture how many grains of sand are on a beach?  His thoughts number even more than this.  Incredible.

I must have quite a bit of value in God's eyes if He cares enough to think about me and give such intimate attention to me.  It's time I start living like I believe I'm precious in His eyes and worth more than gold and rubies to Him(Matthew 10:31, Malachi 3:17).

Uncountable.  I recently sat in on a mandatory meeting where my sister's caregivers met with a social worker and attempted to quantify her care needs.  It was a gruelingly tedious process where six categories of care were scrutinized and her caregivers rated the frequency of care needed each day as well as assigning a level to that care, whether verbal, partial or full.  This data was translated onto a numerical scale which gave the state of Washington where she resides an indication of how much care she needed.

As I listened to the endless barrage of questions, I thought how glad I was that I wasn't the one required to quantify such a thing as the care of another human being.  How can one measure the love these caregivers show my sister?  Is it possible to gauge the level of respect they give her as a human being?  How can their heart be shown on a scale from 1-10?  Does that truly reflect what they are doing for her, the difference they make in her life, the impact these selfless men and women make in our family?  I think not.

Similarly, there is no way I can quantify what God does for me, let alone the attention He gives to me.  His attentiveness is simply always there.  And He makes all the difference to me.

I must have quite a bit of value in God's eyes if He gives me the highest level of care possible.  It's time I start living like I believe I'm the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8).

Ever present.  It's hard for my finite mind to grasp the concept of infinity. In fact, when I try to do so it hurts my brain.  I don't need to fully understand something, however, to believe it to be true.  And this is the case with God's presence in my life.  He is always there.  Even when I sleep, completely unaware of my surroundings and totally vulnerable, He is aware and in control, watching over me.  

I need never worry that He'll abandon me because of my unfaithfulness, for He is faithful.  I don't need to wonder if He'll leave my side when I doubt, because He is always sure.  It is never in the realm of possibilities that my fears will cause Him to give up on me, because He is courageous enough for the both of us.

I must have quite a bit of value in God's eyes if He has vowed to never leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6).  It's time I start living like I believe I'm firmly entrenched by His side, a masterpiece of His own hand.

It's easy to live like I'm not that important, to value others as precious but not see the same thing about myself.  Today it is my desire that I start valuing the attention God gives me as a sign of my own worth.  He thinks about me continually, His attentions are unable to be quantified, and His presence in my life is constant.  If the Maker of heaven and earth gives me such tender loving care, it's time for me to accept the fact that I'm His precious work of art.  I am a masterpiece.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to believe His high opinion of me.

How do I treat myself or think of myself as if I weren't worth much?

How can I honor God by honoring all of His creation, including myself, in the way I think and speak about myself?

Man's Plan

"Lot and his two daughters left Zoar

and settled in the mountains, 

for he was afraid to stay in Zoar.

He and his two daughters lived in a cave.

One day the older daughter said to the younger,

'Our father is old,

and there is no man around here to give us children--

as is the custom all over the earth.

Let's get our father to drink wine

and then sleep with him

and preserve our family line through our father.'"

Genesis 19:30-32

He took matters into his own hands.  When it seemed God wasn't going to follow through on His promise to give him a child, he and his wife came up with their own means to reach that end.  Soon a son was born to his wife's Egyptian slave, and an entire race of people who would be hostile toward the nation of Israel was born.  (Genesis 16)

Another man simply ran away from God's plan.  Refusing to go tell a hostile group of people it was time to repent and turn to God, this prophet chose a path in the opposite direction in order to avoid the terrifying call God had placed on his life. (Jonah 1)

This new king defiantly did things his way instead of God's.  If the Lord said to run, he would walk.  If it was expected that he stop, this man would go.  So, on the occasion of a great battle, it was no surprise that the first anointed king of the people of God would do the opposite of what He instructed: capturing the enemy king, sparing the best of the flocks, and keeping everything that was good for himself. (1 Samuel 15)

Abram, Jonah and Saul were all sinful men, just look you and me.  Even though God had a good plan for their lives, they each chose to follow their own plan on at least one occasion.  God also has a good plan for my life, but when things don't go as I think they should or progress as quickly as I'd like, I am tempted to do as these men did and take matters into my own hands.  Unfortunately, there are consequences to following my plan instead of God's.

Far Reaching

I have often heard this excuse for living in sin: "It doesn't hurt anyone but me, so let me live my life my way!"

While it's easy to convince myself that my own sin only affects me, the truth is that my stubborn refusal to agree to God's ways have far-reaching consequences.  In the case of Lot's daughters, the offspring that came from their incestuous relationship resulted in two people groups who became the unconquered enemies of Israel.  Moses was later forbidden to attack the Moabites and Ammonites because of their family connection that can be traced back to the ill-conceived plan of Lot's daughters to continue their family line. (Deuteronomy 2:9 and 19)

Not only did these two groups of people present a threat to the welfare of the nation of Israel, they were also a source of idolatry.  Moab led the Israelites into sexual immorality and Baal worship (Numbers 25:1-3) and both nations hired Balaam to bring a curse upon the Israelites, forever banishing them from the assembly of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 23:3-6, notable exception to be Ruth)  The actions of these two girls wrought trouble for the people of God that they could have never foreseen.

In the same way, my choice to follow my sin nature instead of the leading of the Spirit of God results in consequences that touch the lives of many.  Choosing my way instead of God's will always carries a high cost.  Instead of following in the footsteps of Lot's daughters, I can wait on the Lord who has a much better solution to the dilemma in which I now find myself.  His way may not come in my time or within my frame of understanding, but I can count on it to bless those who follow Him.

Choosing my plan over God's affects more than just me.

Manipulation and Deception

"I need a sale today to get my kids some clothes for school."

"The price doesn't matter; it's all about the payments.  Who cares of it costs $5000 less if the payments are not affordable?"

"We knew it had that problem.  That is why it's priced so low."

"Today is the final day of this sale.  Tomorrow the prices go up."

Car salesmen are known for their slick sales pitches and crafty come-backs, all with the goal of making a sale.  Instead of looking out for the best interest of their customers, they often are only concerned with their own bottom line.

In order to make a sale, people often end up using others as a means to an end.  While they may care enough to provide good customer service, the bottom line is that they can't make a living if people don't make a purchase.  It is not so different for me when I choose to follow my own plan instead of waiting on God to reveal His design.  In order for me to put my idea into practice, I will most likely need to use someone to accomplish my means.

Just as Lot found himself as a pawn in his daughters' scheme, the plan of man always requires manipulation and deception. When I don't have the funds to take a much-needed vacation, for example, I can either wait on the Lord to provide or I can convince my husband to take some money out of our emergency savings.

Or when I'm tired of waiting for physical healing under my doctor's care, I can either draw from the well of living water to help me carry on or I can search out someone who will tell me the news I want to hear and administer an alternative cure.

Or when the monotony of day-to-day life is getting me down, I can go the the Lord for a boost of my morale or I can badger my husband for an expensive makeover that I think will give me a new attitude.

Choosing my plan over God's means I'll need to use people as pawns to get what I want.

Values Compromised

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."  This well-known saying implies that in times of trouble, morality goes out the window.  This seems to be the case in today's scripture passage.  As Lot's daughters considered the unthinkable, they adopted the morality of the world in which they had lived.  

Sodom had just been destroyed for the pride, gluttony, laziness, and sexual immorality of her people.  (Ezekiel 16:49-50)  Since Lot had raised his family in the shadow of this kind of detestable atmosphere, his impressionable daughters had taken on these same kinds of attitudes and beliefs.  While they may have never come up with such a scheme on their own, the influence of those they lived around gave them depraved ideas.

When I let my eyes stray from God's perfect, prosperous plan for my life, I tend to drift toward options that appeal to the world but go against God's standards.  Adopting the world's ways as my own means I will compromise the principles He has taught me.

Choosing my plan over God's means I'll concede to the values of the world.

There is no doubt that God has a beneficial plan for my life.  Most of the time, however, that plan does not follow my time table or the take the path I had in mind.  For these reasons, I tend to try to find my own way.  Walking my own path, however, carries with it far-reaching consequences, necessitates the use of people as pawns, and involves the compromise of the values which God has instilled in me.  Therefore, it is always better to wait for God's plan than to take matters into my own hands.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God even when everything seems to be going wrong.

When do I give up hope when I'm tired of waiting?

How do I use people to get what I want?

Made Perfect

"'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.'

And where these have been forgiven,

sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary."

Hebrews 10:17-18

I haven't been bowling in a long time but the thing I notice about my skills when I do hit the lanes is that my success or failure is inversely proportional to the amount of effort I exert.  In other words, if I try really hard to get a high score I end up throwing one gutter ball after another.  If, however, I relax and just try to have fun, I end up getting some strikes and spares.

Maybe this is similar to my walk with Christ.  In dying on the cross, Jesus did what the law and animal sacrifices could not do: make me perfect.  In this I have His law on my heart and mind, and my sins are remembered no more.  With this power and freedom, there is no longer a need to go through rituals to make me acceptable but I am embraced as a part of God's family through faith.  In this way I can relax and let God work through me, kind of like when I loosen up in the bowling alley.  In order to truly surrender, though, there are some traps of which I must let go.

Fear

I have a cat who loves a good massage.  He'll lay on the bed purring loudly and meowing for attention until someone indulges his desires and gives him a good rubdown.  Most of the time, however, his fear keeps him hidden under the bed instead of enjoying all the attention and interaction he could be receiving.

Fear is crippling and likewise keeps me from fully experiencing the life of freedom God has given to me.  When I let my apprehension to take a step of faith hold me back, I may protect myself from failure but I also miss out on the blessing that comes from obedience.  

Other times I listen to the voices telling me I'm not qualified or experienced enough to do what God is calling me to do, consequently staying in the shadows along the wall instead of getting out on the dance floor.  I may think I'm guarding myself against humiliation but in reality I'm just like my cat, failing to receive all the good God has stored up for me as a result of submission.

Fully embracing the love of God that releases me from the punishment my sins deserve means I can walk in the security of that love:  I'll never have to face His wrath when I live immersed in the love of God.  There is no room for fear when I understand I've been made perfect in this love. (1 John 4:18)

True surrender to the Lord who made me perfect through faith in Christ means I can fully accept His love, giving me the power to let go of fear.

Guilt

The weight of his past bore down heavily upon him, so powerfully that he decided to end his own life.  He reasoned that if he was so evil as to take the life of his own wife in a fit of rage then how could he ever be capable of doing good?  The guilt nearly killed him.

Thankfully, this man did accept the salvation from eternal death our sins deserve that comes through faith in Jesus Christ and he eventually was able to forgive himself, letting go of the deep regret that so colored 20 years of his life.  Every follower of Christ has similarly been freed from the guilt of past sins.  

Feelings of remorse and shame are indications that I understand the depth my sins have offended God. (Psalm 51:3-5)  But guilt in and of itself is of no value except to keep me in the past.  If I truly want to be free from my sins which are covered by the blood of Jesus, it is vital for me to accept the forgiveness offered by God as a result.  After all, just feeling bad about my past doesn't save me.  I've already been forgiven but it's up to me to receive the pardon. (Psalm 130:3-4)

True surrender to the Lord who made me perfect through faith in Christ means I'll learn to accept the forgiveness I've been offered.

Low Self Image

Matthew West wrote a powerful song called "Hello My Name Is" about how I identify myself based on my mistakes, failures, weaknesses and sins instead of seeing myself as I am in Christ.  In part Matthew sings, "I am no longer defined by all the wreckage behind.  The one who makes all things new has proven it's true, just take a look at my life."

Instead of thinking of myself as an impatient, insecure, uncoordinated, stocky woman who has made many wrong turns in my life, I can take on my true identity, as Matthew sings about in the chorus, "Hello my name is child of the one true King."  I am a princess and my Father planted me as an "'Oak of Righteousness' in order to display His glory.  (Isaiah 61:3)  "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14a) and all the hairs on my head are numbered, so precious am I to my Father.  (Matthew 10:30)

Instead of looking at myself through my own carnal lenses, I must take on the perspective of my Father who loves me with a compassion that cannot be fathomed.  I am infinitely valuable to Him, so much so that He was willing to give the life of His only Son in order to redeem me into a right relationship with Him.  If I am that important to God, how can I see myself as any less?

True surrender to the Lord who made me perfect through faith means I can take on my true identity as His Image Bearer.  

I have been made perfect not by my own efforts but through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.  As a result, I can learn to let go of fear and walk in His love, release the guilt that keeps me in the past, and see myself as a child who is precious in her Father's sight.  In this way I will live in a way that glorifies God.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can live as a child of the One True King.

When do I see myself more as a failure than a victor in Christ?

How am I dishonoring God by my own low view of myself; bearer of His image?    

Image Bearer

"Then Jesus said to them, 

'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's

and to God what is God's.'

And they were amazed at him."

Mark 12:17

They were trying hard to catch Jesus saying something incriminating.  If they could only find Him tripping up, then everyone would see how phony He was.  I mean, c'mon!  The Messiah coming from the town of Nazareth, the son of a lowly carpenter?  He was supposed to be a King!  One who would rescue them from their misery!  There is no way someone so ordinary and plain could do all that.  Yes, if they could only catch Him in a lie or saying something outrageous; then they could get rid of Him for good.

Many didn't recognize the One whom God sent to save us.  Neither did they understand His mission.  Even so, He amazed people everywhere He went with His wise words, astounding miracles and never-before-seen healings.  There was no doubt that Jesus was one of a kind.

In fact, in this particular case, Jesus blew everyone out of the water with the idea that I am to give what is owed.  I need not live a life completely ignorant of or in defiance to the world around me.  Instead, I am to give what I owe.

As a woman who bears God's image, what is it in my life that I owe to God?

Desires

Nineteenth century author and philosopher Henry David Thoreau advised to, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined."  Thankfully, my life did not turn out the way I thought it would.  My dreams were so short-visioned and completely opposite of what God had for me.  In retrospect, I'd rather follow His lead any time.

The twenty-third Psalm depicts God as my shepherd, providing things I need, quieting me, supporting me and bringing comfort.  One of the most powerful pictures is of Him leading me as His sheep.  I am prone to wander, but His staff brings relief as He guides me back on the path for His name's sake.

I can follow my heart, but it will lead me to despair.  (Jeremiah 17:9)  There are many well-meaning people whose advice I could take, but only God knows the plan for my life.  (Jeremiah 29:11) My common sense tells me to do one thing, but if I I pay attention only to God I can't go wrong.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Since I am made in God's image, I am created to be in a close intimate relationship with God and can let Him lead me instead of trying to fabricate my own life plan.

Will

He was so distressed He felt close to death.  The sorrow and anguish ran so deeply that drops of blood formed on His skin.  "Father, I know all things are possible with you.  If there is any other way. . .but not my will, but Yours be done."  (paraphrased from Mark 14:32-36 and Luke 22:39-44)

Jesus suffered immensely at the thought of what was to come.  Even so, His uppermost desire was for His Father's will to come to pass.  Many times I'm in a different type of agony.  Maybe it's physical, or it could be emotional or even spiritual.  Whatever the misery, it can't over power God's will.  The question is, am I going to get on board, or will I be a spectator stuck on the sidelines nursing my wounds?

I have two choices in this life.  Either I do things my way, stubbornly insisting that my way is fine for me, or I do things God's way, surrendering to His sovereign plan.  Whichever path I choose, God's will is going to move forward.  The only difference is that I'll miss out on the blessing that comes with obedience.

The Apostle Paul puts it this way:  "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?" (Romans 6:16)  Paul goes on to explain that as a follower of Christ, I no longer am bound to sin, but have been freed from it's shackles through His blood.  Now, I am able to win the battle of the wills and yield my stubborn determination to God's control, and let Him have His way in my life.

Since I am made in God's image, I am created to bend my will to God, and let His purposes prevail in my life.

Heart

A friend of mine told me they have a saying in his homeland of Haiti that speaks to the resiliency of his people.  "As long as you still have a head, there is a chance that one day you will wear a hat."  The whole world learned of the resilient spirit of the Haitian people after the earthquake of 2010.  People did not give up despite the death and destruction that overwhelmed the rest of the world.  For some reason, the people of this tiny island nation possess strong hearts.  

Jesus said that whatever we treasure, that is where our heart will be. (Matthew 6:21)  If I value money above all things, my focus will be on wealth.  If I lose all or some of it when the stock market plummets, I will probably think my life is over.  

If it's my family that is most important to me, I would lose my mind if something horrible happened to one of my loved ones.  

If my career is the center of my life, I'll lose hope if I receive a pink slip.

If I treasure my relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ as the most valuable part of my life, nothing will shake me.  No kidnapper could destroy my faith through their evil.  No sudden downturn in the economy could knock me off my feet.  No disaster would threaten to destroy me.  Instead, my faith will tell me that my God will supply all my needs according to His glorious riches!  (Philippians 4:19)

Since I am made in God's image, He created me to be wholeheartedly devoted to Him.

God certainly doesn't need anything from me.  But as one of His image bearers, He designed me to work best when I'm in His hands.  I can surrender my desires to Him and take on His.  I can exchange my self-centered will for His, and I can devote my heart completely to Him.  In this way, I am giving to God what is God's.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can devote my whole heart to Jesus.

When do I insist on getting my way, ignoring God's gentle guidance?

How do I follow my dreams instead of the Good Shepherd?