Back to the Basics (2)

Did you miss part 1 of this conversation?  You can find it here.

When we get to know our Creator, we discover our worth as He intended!  If only we could truly grasp His amazing love for us, then we'd never question it!  

Have you ever thought about simple tools we use today?  Consider a pen.  What is a pen's purpose?  It's to write.  If I'd never seen a pen before, I might ask someone to show me what it does or what it's for.  However, if the maker of the pen was standing right there, it'd likely be best to ask him!  "What did you intend for it when you created it?"  A pen wasn't meant to cut.  Scissors weren't meant to write.  The makers were not unkind in their design and final product.  They were each intentionally created for good.  

We are so much greater than pens, scissors, plants, and animals!  We are holy image bearers of our mighty God!  That is incredible!  There are those who don't know this or don't believe it, but believers can also lose focus.  We only see in part, and that can be frustrating at times.  "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).  It can be discouraging when we go through the messes of this world.  The devil loves to ensnare us, hold us down, and keep us confused or discouraged.  I acknowledge that I'm a good "forgetter" (or complainer about the grief I see and experience), but the incredible beauty is that the Lord doesn't leave us to waste in our sin.  He does not leave us alone.  When the lies creep in that we are unloved, forgotten, or that our very beings were a mistake, we must go back to the basics.  As we make our way back to our loving Creator's ready arms, we are reminded:  "Do not fear for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name.  You are mine" (Isaiah 43:1).  He continues, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned."  Not only is He with us, offering His protective hand- even when we don't see it- He continues redeeming us, taking back what was broken to bring it back to wholeness.  Are you familiar with Corrie Ten Boom and her needlepoint illustration?  God's never caught by surprise!  He's continually working on our behalf no matter what we face.  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).  

I don't know if there's much of anything more beautiful than His redemption!  When we mess it up (or someone else comes along and tries to tear you down), He longs for us, and He desires us.  Our Creator will remind us who we are- and Whose we are!  As we grasp onto our heavenly Father's great love and come to know that He is trustworthy, so many of those internal questions are answered ...or they fade into the sea of insignificance.  Our fullness is found in Him!  Not only is He so good to bring wholeness in my life and yours, He also allows us to encourage wholeness around us as well!  One pebble dropped into the pond sends ripples far beyond the pebble's reach.  It's not in our accomplishments and striving (and boy do I need that reminder as I work and work to "achieve" what could never be achieved on my own).  It's all about who He is and what He has done!  His grace is greater than all of our shortcomings and all of our sin... allll of it.  That brings hope!

What does the Lord, the Creator of the universe, have in mind for you?  For starters, he wants you!  He already knows all about you.  Nothing is hidden from Him.  Even still, He wants your heart!  Then... ask Him and study His word!  Don't look to others around you for fulfillment.  Look to the One who made and holds the pen!  "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing, and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).  Our hope always lies in Him, and there we will find the freedom to be who we were made to be!