Joy in Working with My Hands

"Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for your serve the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:23-24

I admit I am no Martha Stewart, or expert seamstress by any means, but have rekindled my passion for sewing, something I loved when my kids were little. I sewed them clothes, curtains, bedcovers and pillow cases, but then as life got too busy and I worked outside the home, the machines were put away for a long time. Not long ago, I finally made a quilt for my first grandbaby. My desire to create for my grandsons is strong. It makes me feel good to work again with my hands. I also like to write, do calligraphy, and if I had the time, I would start painting again.

The other day I was reading in Exodus about how the Israelites gathered together to design the tabernacle according to the pattern God had shown them. God included the women in these preparations, and in Exodus 35: 25-26 it says:

"All the women who were gifted artisans spun yarn with their hands, and brought what they had spun, of blue, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And all the women whose hearts stirred with wisdom spun yarn of goats’ hair."
I bet those women were delighted to do their very best work to produce the finest quality yarns. God had no prejudice in the women contributing to the beauty of the tabernacle, which was to represent to the Jews a picture of Christ.

Though I do not claim to be the Proverbs 31 woman, I hope to be more and more like her, with God's enablement. I like how she is said to work with her hands as well in Proverbs 31: 13:

"She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands."

I think of women just a few generations ago, how different it was for them! We have the opportunity now to be couch potatoes if we want to, or remain glued to the computer or smartphones because of the increase of technology. My mother in law never had a dishwasher to add to her convenience in cleaning up the family meals. My grandmothers had wringer washers where they needed to feed each item of clothing into the wringer for cleaning. Who would have time now for that? If I went back to my great grandmother's time it is likely they never had any car to take them on trips, but rode carriages drawn by horses to get to town.

Yes, the advancement of technology can be good, but it also can feel good to make things from scratch: bread, soups, and cakes, for example. Hanging the laundry outside to dry naturally gives the clothes such a nice smell. It was something everyone used to do. And at the end of the day, it feels good to know you worked hard, and have something to show for it. One of my daughter in laws creates beautiful crafty gifts for the family, and the other one makes wonderful homemade soaps. I am glad they get to create, too!

Think back to when we were little, before our teachers told us the "right" way to create a piece of artwork. Didn't it bring us joy just to create it? In some small way, we get to share in the joy of creating just like God did when He created us. I feel that same sense of joy today when I sit down and hear my sewing machine buzzing away, or the clack of my fingers typing a poem, or creating a meal that my husband will rave over.

God is so great to give us each talents and let us discover ways of blessing others (and ourselves) through using them.

Deuteronomy 16:15

"... because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice."

What brings your heart and your hands delight? I would love to hear about it!

The Things that Remain

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." I Corinthians 13: 13

I am struck by these words this morning. These elements, and these elements only, are the things that will remain. Everything else, I mean everything, comes to pass. Faith, hope and love are the only constants in this universe. But what kind of faith, what kind of hope, what kind of love?

Are these things we try to conjure up within ourselves and do the best we can as humans to perform? Or, is it a work of God within us? Is it something we can proudly state that we have achieved, or is it something God reduces us to, stripping away all the things we once grasped onto so dearly?

What is faith? Is it blind faith in the goodness of mankind, that somehow we will overcome all the problems that plague our planet and the ushering in of a new harmony on this earth? Or is it faith that realizes that all we as men can do is mess things up and therefore we need a Creator who solves our every problem? Is it realizing that in our natural person, there exists "no good thing?" As Romans 7:18 states:

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find."

Yes, we humans want to do what is right. No normal parent ever sets out to harm his child, no normal person goes to the altar with the intention of getting a divorce, but something gets in the way of these beautiful plans.

It's called sin. It's called the fall of man, which every single person on this planet is affected by. No matter how good our intentions are, we just can't perform the right things that we want to do.

That is where faith comes in. The faith is not in ourselves, but in the Person who came and basically, pitched his tent among us according to the Greek in John 1:14. The word for "dwelt" is skēnoō (#4637 in Strong's Lexicon). This is what it means:

I.to fix one's tabernacle, have one's tabernacle, abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent), tabernacle


II.to dwell

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G4637&t=NKJV

Think of it, the only human without this sin problem came to dwell among us because He loved us so much.Jesus Christ lowered Himself to pitch a tent among us and live the perfect life for us and then sacrificed Himself perfectly on the cross so that we could live forever with Him. This perfect Person was willing to share His righteousness with us (II Corinthians 5:17), so that we could live forever, in spite of the weaknesses and failures of our humanity.

So faith isn't in our own goodness. No, it is only and completely in Him. That is rightly directed faith, and it is the only way to please God, for Hebrews 11:6 tells us:

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

What about hope then? What is it we are hoping for? Are we hoping that we will realize all our material dreams and finally have "the good life?" Or is it a hope beyond what this world could ever offer? Is it the hope of a new and eternal life that will never perish away, that will not grow old, that will never be corrupted?

Peter tells us of this hope:

1 Peter 1:3-5

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

This is where our hope lies. Not in things getting better in this world, and that we will have a comfortable life with no problems.

But I Corinthians 13 tells us that greater than even faith and hope is love. What is love? Is it a warm, fuzzy feeling we have towards other people? Something we must produce in and of ourselves?

The Bible tells us of differing categories of love, romantic love (eros), friendship love(phileo), but in the most supreme category, the kind only God produces, is agape love. This is a love we cannot muster in ourselves. When I find myself getting annoyed with other people, I now stop and pray to the Lord: "OK, Lord, I cannot love this person, but I know that You live inside me through faith and I can trust You to love through me."

Because I know He lives inside me, and that His will is to love, I can trust that He can and will produce that love in me, without my feeble human attempts to do it. But how do I know of this love? The key is in the Word of God.

I John 2: 2 says:
"But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him."

The Greek word for keep is tēreō. (Strong's #5083). Here is what it means:

I.to attend to carefully, take care of
A.to guard
B.metaph. to keep, one in the state in which he is
C.to observe
D.to reserve: to undergo something

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G5083&t=NKJV

If we take heed to God's Word, He can work His love into us. Just as the Psalmist told us in Psalm 119:9:
"How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word."

If we treasure up His Word inside us, it gives the Holy Spirit a basis from which to work. So, it is not us doing, but the Word of God inside us. Paul told us that the Word does the work in I Thess. 2:13:

"For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe."

So, we can all take heart today. If we have faith in Jesus only to be our righteousness and sanctification, it will give us hope in the storms of life and eventually produce His own agape love inside us. This love will outlast the material universe. Praise His Name!

"But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” (I Cor. 1: 30-31)

Rejoicing at the End of Day

Psalm 65:8 "... thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice."

The other day I was struck by this small verse tucked away in Psalm 65. He makes the coming and going of mornings and evenings to be happy? This verse gave me great comfort, for I don't naturally "like" the "outgoings of the evening."
When I look at dusk approaching, naturally a sense of gloom comes over me, for some reason, I don't know why.

I am getting near to my next birthday and it seems that one day goes faster than the day before. They all seem to get lost in a giant blur. And getting through the winter months is toughest of all. I look at current events and see nothing but one disaster upon the heels of another.

But God is not affected by these gloomy thoughts. He is perpetually happy, because He is satisfied with what His Son did to satisfy His righteous judgment on the sins of this world. (Romans 5: 6-8) Oh, He knows it is getting worse down here by the day. But He is not fretting, like I tend to do.

He is rejoicing, according to this verse, with the comings and goings of our days and nights in our brief stay here upon this planet. In fact, He already sees us with Him in eternity. It is like we are already there. But I take comfort that as I see the darkness each night start to encroach the planet with its blanket of darkness, God is still there. He is still with me. He is with me at night just as much as He is in the midst of a sunny day.

I cannot say I do not get affected by the darkness of the winter days. I do. I remember fondly one of my dear children always imploring the Lord, "Make it a sunny day today." They had a hard time with the dreariness too.

But to the Lord, one day is as another. Psalm 74:16 tells us: "The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun."

I can go on, face another day, when I know that it ultimately belongs to Him.

In Psalm 104: 20-23 it tells us more about why God created the days and the nights:

"Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.

The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.

The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.

Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening."

It is all part of God's established pattern for us while we dwell here in time.

Psalm 136: 8-9 tell us that mercy is available both day at night, at all times, for God, in His provision, has given us:

"The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:

The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever."

There is grace for each day and just enough for that day, not for tomorrow.

There is comfort in this established pattern God has set for us. He promised us it would be this way until the end of time, for He said in Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

Is the earth remaining? Yes, it appears to be. Then I can rely upon the fact that when I see the darkness creep up after another day has passed away forever, that God will make the outgoing of that day rejoice.

I can trust He will be with me for the next day, for my life. In fact, all my days are numbered and I am held securely in His nail scarred hands.

Like Newborn Babes...

"Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." I Peter 2:1-3

I recently became a grandmother, and came home from my trip to see my beloved grandson. The first time I held him, I felt this overwhelming sense of love and the reminder of how helpless a newborn baby is. It is interesting that Peter asks us to be like newborn babies. I am reminded of how much we are like them by watching my grandson.

He could not hold his little head up, but had to be supported when we transferred him from one lap to another. Isn't that like how we must depend on God to lift our head? In Psalm 3, we find David's lament when he had to flee from his own son who wanted to steal the kingdom from him. He, like my grandson, needed help from outside of himself. He says:

"But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts my head." Psalm 3:3

The next verse says, "I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill." This also reminds me of how we are like babies. My little grandson makes a lot of cute baby noises: squeaking and what I call "rooching" as he fusses a bit and squirms to settle and calm himself. And when his little tummy starts to rumble, he cries. Just like God the Father, his needs are met with his feeding, which is promptly made ready for him.

For us, that milk that we hunger for is God's Word. At first, we may not recognize that it is the substance we are truly longing for. But when we become new creations in Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit and this spirit is not satisfied with the things of this world. Sure, there are so many distractions, but none of them will fill us like the Word of God will.

But Peter gives us a clue as to when we will want the milk of the Word of God, and that is if we have tasted that the Lord is gracious. It is easy to avoid the Word of God if we are fearful of being condemned, but Peter says we must know the Lord's grace to desire the Word. I believe the more we look into the Word, the more gracious we will know Him to be.

But we must approach Him like that newborn baby. The baby doesn't have any pretenses.Their little belly is growling;that's all. So we must approach God's word as needing it as desperately as the baby does its milk.
I have a habit of reading the Word in the morning and sometimes I feel as if the enemy whispers that I am just going through a daily ritual. But not if I ask the Lord to reveal Himself to me in a fresh new way, that I might know more of His gracious kindness.

"Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from your law." Psalm 119:18

Is the Bible wondrous to us? It is if we know it speaks of grace from Genesis through Revelation. God's very first action after Adam and Eve sinned was to clothe them with skins, which tells us how our sins were covered when Christ bore them on the cross for us. David, who did not have the completed canon of Scripture, understood this when he said:

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered." Psalm 32: 1

If the Word seems stale,we can read through Psalm 119, where the Psalmist continually is asking for more revelation of the Word. We can ask of God the petitions just like the Psalmist did. If we see that God Himself has provided everything we need, then we can be just like little babies who cry out for our daily feeding of God's Word. God will answer, and provide that milk, in which we find our heart's deepest longings have been met through the Person of Jesus Christ.

"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in HIM." Psalm 34:8

We admit that we can do nothing without Him. Just like my grandson, who slept peacefully in my arms after his feeding, we too can rest in His complete provision, which we learn of daily through the gracious milk of the Word of God. Corrie ten Boom once wrote a book called: Don't Wrestle, Just Nestle. That title seems to sum up the privilege we have as God's helpless little children.

Now we too can rest: "Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling. I will walk before the LORD In the land of the living." Psalm 116: 7-9

and finally, Psalm 23:1, 2 "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures...

Finding the Lord in spite of myself

"Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said,
'Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious." Acts 17:22

That could describe me. Very religious, trying in my own efforts to find the Lord and His acceptance. Trying to be good, when I already have Christ's goodness in me. Trying to feel the Lord's presence, when I have the assurance in the Word that He is always with me.(Hebrews 13:5)

Do you ever get sick and tired of yourself, of doing the same dumb thing over and over? I think God must get tired of me, too. But He is not like me (Psalm 50:21).

He is not in a hurry. He sees me sitting with Him in heavenly places, right now, in the midst of my own imperfections. Praise God, it says in Ephesians 2:6 that HE is the one who causes me to sit with Him in those wonderful heavenly places.

Do I see them? Do I feel them? Not yet, but since He said it, it must be a fact.David says in Psalm 23 that He is the one who:
1) makes me lie down in green pastures
2) leads me beside still waters
3) restores my soul
4) and will lead me in His path of righteousness for His name's sake

Be still, the Word says in Psalm 46. "and know that I am God." That is, He is God, and I am not. But I do have the assurance that this God lives within me, and will perfect that which concerns me.

In II Corinthians 13:11 today, the Apostle Paul said goodbye to the Corinthians, saying to them..."Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." The word for be perfect is katartizo, which means:

"to make fit, to equip, prepare"

In this verse, the word is in the passive voice, which means the subject receives the action of the verb.

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2675&t=NKJV

It is up to God to work His attributes in me, I cannot produce them. The more I try, the more I fail. But if I patiently wait, He will work in me. Psalm 138:8 says:

"The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands."

In this case, the Hebrew word for perfect is gamar. It is translated as "God who will complete for me"

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H1584&t=NKJV

I can rest today. He will do in me what He needs to do. I just thank Him and believe Him. I do not see how He will do it, but He will, because He promises to in His Word, which He puts above His own name.

Heb. 2:8-9 "...But now we do not yet see all things put under him.

(That would include how I see things in the present, but with the eyes of faith:)*

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone."

He tasted death for me, so I can be at peace with myself today. Thank you Lord!

(*denotes my comment)

14 Reasons to Keep My Eyes on Him in 2014

"For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." Romans 11: 36

All of creation can be summed up in that statement. Everything is about Jesus.

Last night I started reading a book called How to Enjoy the Bible by E.W. Bullinger. In the first chapter, I read that the whole point of the Bible is to show us Christ. Both the Word and the Creation testify of Him. When I align myself with that fact, my life goes smoothly. Everything God wants to say to us is said within His Book and through the testimony of His creation.

When I look at my life and my circumstances, I can easily get discouraged. But if I can keep the focus of my life on getting to know Christ, I will have no regrets.I do not have to answer to anyone but Him anyways.

Bullinger reminded me of something: The Word of God is unfathomable. It is never a waste of time to study it. It is like a treasure that I need to store up in my soul while I have the time and opportunity. It never grows out of fashion. In a time of trouble, where else are you going to find hope? As Peter said to Jesus:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (John 6:68)

Think of it: what a privilege to have the Bible and so many helps available to us. In the time of King David, all he had was the Torah and yet he still understood that His sins were covered by God's grace.

Why is it fitting that I should look away from myself and to Christ? In this year of 2014, here are 14 reasons from the top of my head:

1)He is altogether lovely.
Song of Solomon 5: 16
"His mouth is most sweet,
Yes, he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved,
And this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem!"

2)He has a light yoke.
Matthew 11:30
"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

3)He knew me in my mother's womb.
Jeremiah 1: 5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..."

4)He knit me together.
Psalm 139:13
"For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb."

5)He knows my anxious thoughts.
Psa 139:23
"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties"

6)He will never leave me nor forsake me.
Hebrews 13: 5
"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

7)Even if I deny Him, He will not deny me.
II Timothy 2:13
"If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself."

8)I traded my sins for His righteousness in the Great Exchange of human history.
II Corinthians 5: 21
"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

9)He is coming quickly, and He has His reward with Him.
Rev. 22: 20
"He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

10)One day, every knee will bow to Him, so why not bow now?
Phil. 2: 10-11
"...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

11) He holds the universe together.
Col. 1: 17
"And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."

12) His mercy endures forever.
Psalm 118:29
"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever."

13) He is rich unto all that call upon Him.
Rom 10:12
"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him."

14)No one who comes to Him will ever be cast out.
John 6:37
"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

What are your reasons to keep your eyes on Christ in 2014?

Live Up to or Live Unto

Did you ever have something wonderful happen to you before people and felt you must work hard to keep giving a good impression of yourself? That you had to "tow the line" or you would lose your good standing before men?

I have felt that, but it isn't that way in the family of God. God sees me today, and accepts me just where I am. He doesn't even get tired of me repenting for the same sin over and over. He tells us to forgive our brother 70 times 7. Well, I say that you can't forgive others if you don't forgive yourself first.

Guilt has a way of coming in and accusing us of things we have already confessed in order to break the peace we have as a free gift of God. But I am slowly learning to answer back when I am accused:

"That is NOT who I am!"

Why can I say that? Maybe it looks obvious to the world that I have failed in some sort of sin. But God says: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold all things are become new." in II Corinthians 5:17. Are these just nice words or are they God's truth?

I choose to believe they are true. I am not who I was in the old person. That person died when Christ died, was buried when He was buried, and rose up to new life when He rose up to new life. I must internalize and believe it, because the Word says it, and it is my refusal to believe it that keeps me stuck in the same old ways of failure.

Romans 6: 1-4 tells us: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life?

It almost sounds too good to be true, but if I want to get past the failures then I must choose to see myself the way He does. Yes, I may have sinned, but God does not see me in that sinful state. He cannot, because He tells us He has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), that they are buried in the deepest sea (Micah 7: 19), that He has put them behind His back (Isaiah 38: 17). What an awesome, gracious God we serve.

If He did see me in my sin, He would not be satisfied with what Jesus did to pay for my sin on that cross. Therefore I need to give myself a clean slate each day, and be thinking only of what is ahead, not what is behind. I cannot do anything about the past, but I can choose what I will do with today.

Sometimes I say to the Lord: "Lord, I am receiving the love you have for me. I am believing the love you have for me."

It helps me to remember that everything He does in my life is done because He loves me. Even when He has to discipline me, I must remember it is done because He loves me. Just like a little child who throws a tantrum needs disciplined, so I also must receive discipline so that I will learn His ways, which lead to peace, rather than my ways, which lead to ruination.

Just think of what God gives to His undeserving children the moment that they place their faith in Christ:

Ephesians 1:3-6 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having pre-destinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved."

From this passage alone He promises us: 1) All spiritual blessings 2) that we were chosen before the foundation of the world 3) that we are holy and without blame before Him in love 4) that we were predestined to be His adopted children and that we are 5) accepted in the Beloved.

We don't have to try to impress God with anything good we have done. He loved us when we could not save ourselves and His love for us is according to who HE IS, not who we are. So I am not living up to some standard today, I am living unto my Lord, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2: 20)