Messes To Masterpieces

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:14

(Note: the following  is an excerpt of a thought/message presented in a service at a Nursing Facility/Convalescent Care Center in Baltimore County, MD on Sunday March 24th by this blogger)

Who am I? The question related to identity we all ask. What is my purpose in life? What is life? Does anyone care? If so, who really cares?

We must come to a complete understanding of our worth and value in life to move beyond our present circumstances (however good or bad they may be) and reach the full potential God has for our lives.

Who cares? God cares. He cares about you. Let’s look into this.

You Are Destined To Give Glory To God

We must, it is imperative that we comprehend and come to a complete understanding of God’s value for life in general, and in particular the value God places upon our own life.

A transformation takes place when we get to the place of total surrender to God – at that point our life is no longer dear to us, but now of infinite value to God. The closer we get to God, the less we value our own life and the more our life is valued by God.

Why is this? Two words – God’s Glory

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.  II Corinthians 6:19-20

“A life totally surrendered to God totally glorifies God.”

That no flesh should glory in his presence. I Corinthians 1:29

One writer penned the following words: “God’s glory is important to Him”. Your life was destined from Creation to give glory to God. Period. Then what is the problem? What divides or separates us from bringing this glory to our Creator? The answer is simple, but oh so devastating – Sin.

Sin is the one element of our nature God will not brush off or overlook. Sin separates, it divides, it brings death:

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James 1:15

Sin entered Creation’s story in the Garden of Eden and continues on to this day. Ask Adam and Eve about being separated from God. Ask Cain their first son. Ask Achan who along with his family was stoned to death (Gen 7:24-26). Ask King Saul. Ask King Ahab and his wife Jezebel. Ask Judas. Sin always leaves behind a bitter trail of remorse and pain.

But, there is hope. Where? Hope is found in His hands.

Read His Palms – They Tell Your Story

But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:14-16

What is graven on the palms of the Lord’s hands? Nail prints. For who? They are for you. That is how much you are valued. This is who you are. Your life is very, very important to God:

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. Luke 24:39

The God of Glory went through the pain and agony to be permanently engraved with the value of your life imprinted on His hands. In eternity, there will be only one with a scarred body. The Bible tells us that God’s people resurrected from this life of dust, bone and death will one day be given a glorified body:

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: I Corinthians 15:42-43

But, there will be one in Heaven whose hands will tell the story of a distant time and of a distant place. The palms of God will remind Him of the price He paid at a place called Calvary where He showed the value he placed on those created in his own image – You.

Read His palms for they tell your story – they are proof of your worth and your value to Him.

Be Kind To Your Heart

It could be that there are times when God is just plain “fed up” with our mistakes, our failures, our shortcomings, our sin and decides to annihilate the whole mess. What holds God back from pouring His wrath out on a world gone mad, intoxicated by sin?

One thing. His palms.

O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. Habakkuk 3:2

In wrath remember mercy. The great God of mercy and love looks at His hands and perhaps says to himself – “I can’t destroy them. I’m reminded of Calvary. I’m reminded of going to a cross and shedding my blood for them. My palms remind me of how much they are loved and valued. In my wrath, I am reminded of my Mercy”.

God knew before the foundation of the world that the only lasting thing that will change us is love. There is a God and Savior who loves you with an everlasting love. Be kind to your heart. His palms tell the story of who you are. You are of great value to Him.

This is who you are destined to be – in His hands, redeemed by His blood and near to His heart.