Greetings in Christ,
Many of us have worked on a project which started from nothing to something, and it required many hours of hard work. It takes time and patience to build or create a project. I had crafted a fireplace mantel for a friend. In the process of crafting the mantel I wanted to make sure I had picked out the best wood. All the grain had to look the same and align in the process of building it. There could be no warped boards; they had to be straight and flat. They all had to be the same thickness in order to align in the crafting of the mantel. I was trying to be careful to start with the best material I could find.
During the cutting of the boards, I took the time to make sure I did not measure incorrectly, and sometimes checking three or four times. Once the wood had been cut it could no longer be the same, and it would not work for the designed purpose. It would be a waste of material, and a waste of time.
All through the process of crafting the mantel I made sure I did all the right things. It was during the assembly of the mantel it would be evident the measurements had been correct. Even during the assembly there were some thoughts of how to correct the wrong if the mantel did not resemble the drawings created before the project. My mind had gone through many things during the assembly, but as the mantel was being assembled my mind had been put to ease for it looked like the drawings, but it needed some final touch up to look good. Some sanding, staining, and polyurethane and it was done ready to be hung on the wall.
I share this project with you because it reminds me of what Jesus may have gone through in His mind as He created us. As He was with the Father when the clay was selected from the earth, He made sure it had all the qualities He wanted. It had all the minerals and sustenance it needed to be molded into a man. It had to be able to withstand His breath of life in order to be created in His image. It had to be shaped into an image we see as mankind. It had to be able to think and enjoy beauty. It had to have knowledge in order to make decisions, but it still needed some touch up.
The process of shaping mankind was a much longer process. God gave the law to the people for them to realize they were living in sin, but it became very cumbersome to keep all the laws. God sent Jesus to personally shape mankind into the desired form God had intended when He came up with the plans to create mankind.
Jesus had to go back to the drawing table and bring with Him the plans to show mankind the original intent of what God had in mind. The knowledge mankind thought they had was nothing compared to the knowledge of God. They thought they knew how to love till Jesus showed compassion for the sick, the hurting, and the lost. Jesus had some sanding to do and, in the process, He was able to bring mankind back into shape and resemble the original design.
Just as I wanted to see the mantel turn out just like the drawing, Jesus wants us to turn out just like God’s design. We may need some more sanding in our process, but I am sure if we let Jesus bring us into the shape that resembles the original drawing, we will look like the image God created.
“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who is enthroned on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of His people. He makes the barren woman abide in the house as a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 113
Lord thank you for loving us so much You came to earth to bring us back to the original design You intended for us. Amen
Blessings,