Willing hands...

"She selects wool and flax
and works with willing hands."
Proverbs 31:13

In this verse we read how the bride receives raw materials from God and then with willing hands she works, prepares and produces useful items from it. She is creative in her labours and with a pure and righteous character she is a factory, producing and creating new, useful products from the material she receives from Him. Not only does she provide for herself and her family, but she serves others by providing in their need with her talents and resources also.

In our instant society we are so used to getting the finished product that we often do not even think about the processes necessary to produce those products. Our instant society fosters and develops a culture of consumerism and instant gratification, that in many instances is functioning in quite the opposite way. We buy, use and dispose and then buy, use and dispose again... we want and we want it quickly and without having to put the effort into developing our own creativity and skills to produce something of value, since it takes to long and after all, we don't need to because we can buy the finished product.

 

Thus, some questions to ponder for this week would be:

• What raw materials did God provide you and I with and what are we doing with it?
• Are we using our inborn creativity, our talents and gifts to produce those products that He designed us to do?
• What are those valuable things that you and I were created to produce, that provide for ourselves and others in the body of Christ and above all serve our King and His Kingdom?
• Are our hands willing to take the raw materials He gives and put in the effort necessary to produce the end product?

However, I do not think this verse is only about producing something of value with the raw materials we are given.  Wool and flax are symbolic of purity and righteousness.  So I think if we engage with God to take the raw materials he gives us and walk out the process with Him, much more happens than what meets the eye.  Let's liken it to the following analogy:

 

If a child wants a wire car to play with, the father has one of two choices.  He can buy the car and give it to the child, which will meet the immediate need and bring joy for a time, or he can provide the raw materials and spend the next six weeks building that car with his son.  At the end of that process much more happened than just having a wire car to play with.  The father developed a skill-set in that child that will last a lifetime and the child will be able to use those skills in many other life situations to provide for himself and serve others throughout his entire lifetime, but above all they had lots of time to do things together that built relationship.  It is in this process that the father uses every opportunity to grow the child's character, making use of teachable moments to produce purity and righteousness in him.  This process also passes on skills and talents to the son, making sure that these qualities are not lost and that they are grown from generation to generation.  So also, through the fruit of our willing hand's labour, a relationship with God is fostered and formed and cultivated in ways that are valuable beyond this lifetime.

 

Thus, two more questions to answer this week will be:

• What do we have that God intended for us to impart into the next generation?  
• Do we have willing hands to persevere through the process so that our character can be built in purity and righteousness, building a relationship with God that is of eternal value?  

 I think this video from Casting Crowns carries a message that captures many of these thoughts...

 

In the Hands of the Potter - Casting Crowns  

 

 

She rewards Him with good...

Last week I shared the thought to read Proverbs 31 from the point of view that it speaks of the Bride of Christ or the Body of Christ and then I thought to continue this journey in the same manner this week and possibly for the next couple of weeks looking at the rest of the chapter in more detail.  Thus this week we are looking at verse 12.

Proverbs 31:12

She rewards him with good, not evil,
all the days of her life.

So my question to the Lord was: 

"Lord how do I reward You with good and not evil, all the days of my life?" 

And then these scriptures came to mind: 

Deuteronomy 30:6

  ⁶ The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live. 

When we allow God to circumcise our hearts so that we will love Him with all our heart and all our souls, we shall live and we reward Him with good and not evil.  Come, Lord Jesus, come circumcise my heart so that I will love you with all my heart and all my soul and that I will reward you with good and not evil all the days of my life...

John 4:23-24

 ²³ But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. ²⁴ God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

When I worship Him in Spirit and in Truth - I reward Him with good and not evil. 

So let us love and worship Him with all our heart and soul... 

I love you Lord with all my heart - Ray Watson

Proverbs 31

Proverbs 31 is one of those chapters in the Bible that I have always avoided to read because I just feel so inadequate when I read it.  It is a standard that is just too high to ever be able to reach.  However, recently we had an interesting discussion at a cell group about this chapter. What if we read this chapter in the context of the body, or bride, of Christ?  What if this chapter is meant to tell us how Christ as the Bridegroom sees His bride? If it can be read as a reference to the bride of Christ it gives us 'n picture of the mature and perfected bride - in other words it is the end result of what God is growing us into.  If we can read it as a picture of the body of Christ then it means that we do not have to be all of it all the time to everyone. We just need to do our part - that part that we are called to, and for which God created and equipped us for, when He intricately wove us together when He made us.  So suddenly this is a chapter that I read with new enthusiasm and an open mind, to see what the Holy Spirit will show me from it. 

Proverbs 31:10-11

Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
¹¹ The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.

Two questions to ponder from these two verses:

1.  Do I know how much value I have for God?  Do I know my worth?

2. Is my heart a safe place for Him?

Proverbs 31

In God's waiting room...

This morning in church the message was about being in God's waiting room and it made me think about the times that I recently spent in various medical settings in a waiting room.  I had a lot of time to observe the staff, the patients, the way people were treated and the way people wanted or expected to be treated. Everybody was not as patient with the waiting as was needed - to the credit of the medical staff they were always polite and helped as quickly and efficiently as possible.  Waiting is not easy, especially if you are not feeling well and you are waiting to be tended to.  Waiting is not convenient.  Waiting is not our first choice in any setting and I think in our instant world it is becoming increasingly difficult to wait for anything, let alone to wait on God.

Waiting on God can have different meanings, though. Waiting can be passive or active.  It can mean to literally passively sit and wait until something happens or your needs are tended to.  However the active meaning of waiting can be illustrated as follows.  A waiter waits on his or her customer.  It's not a passive thing, it's an active thing.  They wait to see if the customer gives an indication of something they need or if some piece of cutlery should be taken away.  Many years ago I had Sunday lunch with my parents at a hotel that offered a silver-service Sunday lunch.  Those waiters brought serviettes and dished up your food and cleared the table constantly.  Before you could even think something was needed, they already did it.  Recently I was eating at an outdoor restaurant and my fork fell on the pavement.  Before I could even catch the waiter's attention to ask him for a clean one he already got the clean fork and brought it to me.  That is an active way of waiting on someone.  What if we change our perspective of waiting on God from something that is a passive 'I-am-sitting-and-doing-nothing-till-God-answers-attitude" to an active waiting on God?  This requires keen detail observing.  Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus to see what His next move or instruction is.  God does not always give us all the information beforehand, but gives enough and if we walk in immediate obedience, the rest will follow and eventually we will have the full picture.   

So while in God's waiting room, waiting for that breakthrough or that promise to be fulfilled, what if we ask ourselves:

1.  What is God building/forming in me while I am waiting?

2.  What is God calling me to do while I wait?

3.  Who is waiting with me and why?  Who am I to be to the person who waits with me?  

I think the answers to these questions may give us enough to celebrate while waiting on God for whatever we are waiting for...

Wait upon the Lord - Leeland

Your Life Story Matters

We all have life stories. So many of the people in the Bible have their life stories or at least part thereof written up for us to read, that I am sure that there is a spiritual principle behind people's life stories, otherwise I do not think that God would have spent so much time on getting it recorded and embedded into what we today call 'scripture'. Jesus often used parables to teach people - many of them were stories, I think it is safe to say that your story matters and your story matters to God. And it matters so much that in Revelation 12:10-12 God writes the following about the power of our life stories:

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom (dominion, reign) of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come; for the accuser of our [believing] brothers and sisters has been thrown down [at last], he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges [of sinful behavior] against them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them [in the presence of God]."

This is such a hopeful scripture because our life stories are not just beautiful - they are also filled with sinful behaviour that the enemy uses to accuse us before God.  This scripture says he does that day and night.  Imagine - day and night the enemy is trying to remind God about every sin we ever committed. He does not want us to forget and he certainly is not going to forget and if he has his way, he is going to make sure that God does not forget. However, our God is bigger than that. There are certain things the enemy can do nothing about. He can do nothing about the fact that the salvation and the power and the kingdom, the dominion and the reign of our God and the authority of His Christ had come when Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected, and that it still will come in a visible manner to and on earth at His second coming.

The accuser can do nothing about the fact that the sin of those who believe in Christ are forgiven and they are washed clean. He can do nothing about the fact that he will be overcome by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB and the WORD OF OUR TESTIMONIES, and by us holding on to faith even when faced by death. He can do nothing about the fact that the heavens and all those who dwell in them are rejoicing because the accuser has been conquered and will finally be thrown down.
 

Our life stories matter.  That part of your life story that the enemy uses to accuse you day and night, mattered so much to God that He sent His Son to change it into a powerful testimony that will be instrumental in overcoming the enemy.  

 

When we allow Jesus to clean and heal and re-write the ending of our life stories, He makes all things beautiful in time. The enemy would not want you to tell that life story.  He does not want you to share with others how much God has done for and in and through you because He knows it's part of God's tools to overcome him.  He will try to steal your voice.  He will try to silence you so that you will not  tell of the goodness of God in your life.  Be intentional.  Share the story of the goodness of God in your life.  Declare the failures of the enemy, by celebrating the victories of God.  Every time he tried to steal, kill or destroy something or someone in your life - tell the world how God did not allow it, how He overcame the enemy's attempt and testify how God built you up.  Heaven will rejoice with you! 

Let our lifesong sing to Him! 

Casting Crowns