Do you ever spend time really meditating on a verse of Scripture? Or does a verse ever speak to you and you feel like the Lord wants you to stop and contemplate what He is saying? I used to struggle with the book of Job. Job certainly had more than his fair share of trials but when you read the things his “friends” have to say you begin to wonder if Job deserved the things that were happening to him.
I remember being bogged down with the things these men were accusing Job of. There is truth in some conclusions they make in a general sense, but in chapter 42 verse 7 the Lord tells Eliphaz and the other men that His wrath was roused against them because “you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” When I began to understand that Job WAS righteous as the Lord says at the end of the book I started to enjoy the story more. It really is a great book, rich with wisdom.
We never know when tribulation and trials are going to come. We can’t think we are going to get through tough times if we aren’t grounded in the Word now. Whatever we put inside ourselves on a regular basis is what we have to draw from when things get rough. A few months back I asked the Lord to help me get up earlier so I could spend more time in His word and prayer everyday before I get going with my routine. And you know what? He started doing that almost immediately. I didn’t want to set my alarm because I don’t sleep well if I do. I also didn’t start to go to bed a lot earlier either; the Lord just started waking me up between an hour and an hour and a half earlier than my normal waking time. I am thankful for the extra time to spend in His word and choose to put Him first each day. (Ok, first after a trip to the bathroom and feeding the cats. If they don’t get their food the old lady cat will yell at me every time I move. I give her some food and all is quiet!) I am reading through the new and old testaments as well as a chapter in Proverbs each day.
How would I react if even one of the things that happened to Job happened to me? As much as I love and trust the Lord I think I would fall apart. I don’t want to do that. I want to be strong, and I know that in order to have a chance to trust the Lord as much as Job I need to build my relationship with Him. I need to do that now, when things aren’t falling apart, when trials aren’t knocking on my door.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, and how small a whisper we hear of Him!
Job 26:14
A whisper. The mere edges of His ways. To me that says God is so much bigger than we can ever begin to comprehend. Yes, we can be intelligent. Yes, we can gather knowledge, but compared to the God of the universe we are nothing. And that’s ok. I am totally ok with being nothing because I serve a God that is bigger than I could ever imagine. The beauty and majesty of this world are just a glimpse at who He is. How amazing and comforting is that? I can’t wrap my brain around how big He is. And not only big but powerful, all-knowing, loving and gentle. For those who know Him, who have put their hope and trust in Him, we will have all eternity to learn about Him. I don’t know if I will ever begin to grasp my God but I can start now, spending time in His word. I can make time, when everything is quiet, to hear His whisper. I can stop and realize the goodness I see from Him is just a tiny edge of His ways. There is so much more that I cannot see or hear but I can put myself in a place to see and hear as much as He chooses to give me.
I’ve tossed around the idea of embroidering scripture to give me time to contemplate them more. The organized, plan-ahead side of me insists I can’t start until I have everything planned out…..maybe that’s not His way in this case. I started a small scripture series at the beginning of this year and have set it aside for a short time. I have another series I am working on and as there are a dozen women signed up for that series at the small quilt shop I work at, I have made it a priority. As soon as I finish out the designs for the rest of this year I will move back to that small scripture series. I DO have a plan for those patterns, I just need the time to see them to completion. In addition to those small pieces, there are longer verses I would like to work on as well. Maybe I don’t need to know the end product of those pieces. Maybe the journey, spending time contemplating His word, IS the destination. Maybe the embroidered pieces will be rolled up and left for someone to find some day in the future to be a blessing to them. I don’t know. Maybe the Lord will show me how to finish them and they will be gifted to someone. I’m not sure, but what I do know is that spending time with Him will only be a good thing. Growing in Him can only mean I can honor Him and glorify Him more and shouldn’t that be the desire of my heart?
I’ve contemplated framing this piece or sewing on a border and making it a small quilt. I’m still undecided so I am not going to do anything with it for now except read it and enjoy it while I decide.
Do you have projects you are working on simply for the pleasure of the process and not necessarily for the end result? I don’t want to have an endless pile of UFOs but I know when I am undecided on the next step in a new design the best thing to do is to put it down and let my brain work on it for a while. I’ve learned the hard way that if I push ahead I will be unhappy with the results and there’s a good chance I will be getting out my seam ripper….
Well, dear friends, I have rambled long enough. Thanks for sticking around. I hope you come back soon.
Blessings,
Michelle
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