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For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13
Have you ever had some feeling deep down inside yourself that you couldn’t describe, not even to yourself? Some deep seeded feeling that you didn’t understand or even agree with? You didn’t want, or couldn’t share it with anyone because no one would understand you and you feared being misunderstood.
If you’ve ever felt this way then you will appreciate what the Psalmist has to say about your deepest, most secret emotions. No one on earth can truly understand how you feel. They may empathize or sympathize. They may have been through similar circumstances. But if anyone says “I know exactly how you feel”, feel free to gently inform them that they can’t possibly know EXACTLY how you feel!
There is one person, however, that does know exactly how you feel. He knows your deepest darkest secrets. You know, those things you don’t even talk with yourself about. The hidden desires. The questions you don’t dare ask. The dreams you never got a chance to pursue. It’s all there. Deep down inside and no one but you knows the whole truth…no one that is except God.
Genesis tells us we’re created in God’s image. The Psalmist gives us more insight. We aren’t mass produced. We’re knitted. Now, I don’t have the slightest idea how to knit, but I’ve watched those who do.
From my observations, knitting is a very personal thing. You can have a group of people sitting together knitting, but each person is producing a unique creation. It doesn’t matter if everyone is attempting to make the same hat, scarf or whatever; no two of them will be exactly the same. The artist creating the object is personally involved with every aspect of the project. Every creation is a masterpiece.
So it is with us. God was intimately involved in every aspect of your development while you were in your mother’s womb. Your weren’t just some mass of matter. You weren’t just a fetus in the process of development. You were a special creation. A masterpiece of Gods workmanship. Nothing left to chance. No flaws. No mistakes. God in all his wisdom made you just as planned. We judge by outward appearance, but the true self is the inner quality God intended us to have.
The next time you feel worthless; remember the one who planned you intimately and passionately. You are so much more than a developed fetus or mass of cells formed haphazardly. You are the personal masterpiece of the living God!
PRAYER: Father God. I’ve spent my whole life trying to be accepted by others. I’ve struggled to be something I’m not and bear the scars of broken dreams and poor choices. In spite of all the scar tissue my physical body bears, I am your masterpiece, created for you and redeemed by your son. I worship you because as your masterpiece I am, as the Psalmist says, wonderfully made. Empower me to live as your special creation. In Jesus name, Amen.
So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! Psalm 31:24 (NLT)
Fear is an amazing thing. Its power over us can cripple us or it can motivate us. It can drive us to new heights of accomplishment or destroy our potential and perspective. The difference between success and failure is often dependent on what we do with fear.
One time I was going through a very difficult and devastating period in my life. I was unemployed, staring bankruptcy in the face and really saw no way out. All my dreams had vanished in a period of six months. I wasn’t ‘suicidal’ but I was close.
I remember walking with a friend of mine one day. She told me she’d heard a radio show that day. The commentator on the show was talking about what one quality we see in other people’s lives that draws us to them. She then told me that when she thought about me, the one enduring quality she saw was courage.
I was shocked. I asked her how on earth she could say that courage was a quality I had. I reminded her of all the bad stuff that had happened. I recounted how my future looked bleak on the good days. Bad days were another story. I felt anything but brave and courageous that day.
Her response stuck with me though. She said “I don’t think I could go through all you are going through without going crazy or blaming God or something. I draw a huge amount of faith and strength by the way you handle the stuff you are going through.”
I’ve thought about that walk many times in the past few years and I’ve come to a couple of conclusions. First, the only way we can learn to be ‘strong and courageous’ is to test our strength. God isn’t in the business of making milk-toast followers. He’s in the business of making warriors and warriors don’t grow strong in times of peace. They get their strength from warfare. Why else would Alexander the Great cry when he realized there were no more worlds to conquer. He had run out of battle.
The second thing I realized is that often times the way we handle battles speaks much more loudly to those around us than our words. Warriors are admired simply because they know how to handle the battles before them.
When we go to battle in our own strength we have reason to fear. We are fallible and weak mortals. When we go to battle in the strength of our God we go knowing that even though we may lose a battle along the way, eventually we will become victorious. Strong courageous people are those whose strength comes from enduring the very hardship that they’d rather avoid but makes them stronger. Strong and courageous people gain strength from faith in the God of Genesis. The mighty warrior.
PRAYER: Father, as I look at my life I realize that many of the things I fear are really there to make me stronger. Empower me with your Spirit to fight the battles I face in your strength. Allow me to show your strength by going through life leaning on your grace. In Jesus name, Amen.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:5-6
I wonder how many times the scene of Jesus’ last breath played itself over and over in the minds of the Mary’s and the other disciples of Jesus that Sabbath day after the crucifixion. What was it like in the synagogue services the next day.
Remember. It was Passover. The city was full of people who had come toJerusalemfor the celebration. Many of them had no doubt heard Jesus speak. They had seen him heal the blind and the lame. They’d seen him cast out demons and raise people from the dead. Some of them may even have been the recipient of Jesus’ touch…and now he was dead.
There must have been a tremendous amount of fear. The Synagogue rulers had always been powerful. They had made rules that were impossible to keep. And now, if the Jews could kill Jesus, what could stop them? Who was next? Would this bring down the Roman guard against others? Even the Roman that watched Jesus die said “Surely, this was the son of God!”
In the homes and gathering places of thousands of Jews there had to have been confusion. So many had thought this was truly the Messiah, and now he was gone. Some may have celebrated. With ever one of these ‘religious zealots’ that came along they carried a threat that the Romans would come in and smash the uprising. Others were no doubt angry. Angry at the Jews for killing a good man. Angry at God for not protecting Jesus. Angry at Jesus for getting their hopes up. Anger doesn’t have to make sense. It only needs an object to attack.
Were the Mary’s at the Synagogue that day? I’ll bet they were. So were many other followers of Jesus. Maybe even a few of the disciples. They came to pray, to worship, to ask ‘why?’ Sabbath was so much more than a ‘Sunday’ in our culture. There was nothing else going on. It was a time of reflection. A time for families. And on this endless Sabbath, a day of remembering.
It’s no wonder then that early the next morning a handful of women made their way through the quiet streets ofJerusalemwith a few vials of oil. They went to remember. They went to worship. They went so that one more time they could say good-bye to their Lord and Savior.
But what joy would await them. Two shining angels. A rolled away stone. An empty tomb. An announcement that would become the battle cry of Christ-followers through the ages.
“We know why you came here this morning. You came looking for Jesus. He’s not here. He’s risen…just like he said he would.
Isn’t that just like Jesus? He did EXACTLY as he said he would. He still does today. Every promise will come true. HE IS RISEN. HE IS RISEN INDEED!
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. Thank you so much for dying for my sins. Thank you for the forgiveness, grace and mercy you make available to me. I give you all the honor, all the praise for you are God! Amen.
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15
Will you be my friend? The term ‘friend’ has taken on a lot of meanings over the years. Today you can be someone’s ‘friend’ on a social network and never meet them. In fact, you can have ‘friends’ all over the world and never leave your home!
A friend can also be called an acquaintance. Someone you say ‘hi’ to on the street but never socialize with and know them only by name.
True friends are hard to find and should be treasured like a fine diamond. They are true gems. A true friend knows your deepest thoughts and hurts because they listen to you. A true friend supports you openly even if they don’t agree with your actions. A true friend is someone you know you can call on anytime for anything and there will be no hesitation. A true friend will never take offense at your blunders or open anger. A true friend will even give their life for you if necessary.
Jesus told his disciples that they were his friends. Imagine that! Those of us that follow Jesus are his friends. We can talk with him about anything. We can be assured that there is nothing we can do to push him away. He will never be surprised or offended by our actions. Why? Because he’s our friend!
Adam was God’s friend and they walked together each night to talk about the day. Abraham was God’s friend and God told him what was going to happen in the future. So, why don’t we feel that close to Jesus if he is our friend?
One reason is that we don’t know who Jesus is. We haven’t spent enough time with him. Another reason is that our view of Jesus has been tainted by years of religious dogma, our past and our guilt for mistakes made. The best way to get to know Jesus is still by reading his letter to us, the Holy Bible. Read the gospels as a true story of Jesus’ life. See how he treated people. See how much he loved you.
Then talk with him. Don’t pray. Don’t try to use fancy jargon. I’ve found it helpful to visualize him in a chair next to me. Jesus loves you. He wants to be the kind of friend you can know and depend on. He says ‘I have called you my friend’ and made no conditions to it. He’s your friend. All you have to do is accept his friendship.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I’m so unworthy to be called your friend because of the mistakes I’ve made. My view of you is so clouded by religious dogma I don’t really recognize you except by name. Help me to grow closer to you though your word, the Holy Bible and through prayer. Thank you for being a friend like no other. Amen.
