Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Just The Gloves




My lack of blogging lately is not because God has been doing less, or speaking less to me, but rather, I have been overwhelmed with all the lessons He has been wanting me to learn...it's almost like I keep trying to catch a moment to examine all I've learned but I can't even stop long enough to do that! haha
But here is the biggest lesson I have been learning. I am a glove. Let me explain what I mean and as I do so I'm going to do it hopefully in a way that when you are done reading this, you will want to be more of a glove as well. God is the great master. The great physician, the one in charge. He has tasks for each one of His children that He would like to use us in. He places each one of His children in their life situations, and as things happen to us, and circumstances mold and shape us, this causes us to have an avenue of understanding that someone farther down the road does not. We all different things. What He teaches you, is going to be different than what He teaches another person. For He intends to use you, differently than He uses someone else. So in your life lets just say you lost a child. Tragic and heart wrenching, in your sorrow you turn to God, He teaches you the beautiful thing that only He can make good from bad. He takes your tragedy and places you in a situation in life to minister to other families who have lost children. Your pain, suddenly, has a purpose. Your trial can be viewed in a different light, and you realize, in eternity, the death of your child means something more than death. It is life to others. It is a chance for you to take another person (through His guidance) from a state of utter desolation, to understanding things that you know now further down the road from your own pain. God is glorified...you are sanctified and work for the kindgdome has been done. You see, it's like this: God is the surgeon. He uses gloves in each and every surgery, this surgeon has the ability to choose what kind of gloves He wants to use in any given operation/procedure. God who is all knowing, sees everyone, and understands all thing thing, looks at us and says, "There! Those are the gloves I can use." And He slips us on, and we go to work, only able to do real meaningful work when we are on His strong hands. We are His instruments, that is another way to look at it. A spoon laying on the table is nice, but the spoon only becomes useful when the person using the spoon picks it up and begins to put it into use. I am a spoon. I am a glove. So this is what I have been saying, "Lord, I am in my place in life because in your sovereignty, you put me here. Knowing that at some point, you'd be needing a pair of gloves that fits 'this' type of situation. So here I am. Speak Lord, your servant is listening." And as I tell Him such things I begin to notice, opportunities in my life arising to take things from my past and present and use it to glorify my Maker. Do you hear the gravity in this? You are not the one doing the work. He is. He is using your MOUTH. Your SITUATION. Your PAIN. Your TRIAL. And giving you a unique platform to further His kingdom from. To proclaim Him name from. He takes the things that the prince of darkness wants to ruin us with, and turns it around to help other people in HIS kingdom, encourage others in this faith, and strengthen others until the day of His return, or He calls us home.
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:10

So friends...what is it that He is asking you to do for Him? Or, rather, let Him do with you? You might be the pair of gloves He wants to use right now, but first we have to realize that the gloves do not move on their own, meaning we always need the Master to put us on before our lives take on kingdom purpose. So ask the great Physician, "Is this the surgery you want to use me in?" Trust me friends, He will answer.
And then, secondly, because the gloves do not move on their own, even if it looks like it's the glove that is doing all the work, their not. So if the man behind the gloves is making all the moves, who should get the glory when the work is done? The one behind the gloves. We are here to hi light Him, and being used by Him, and then when the work is done, turning around and applauding HIM...this is what we ought to do. He knows you child...He knows your hurts, your fears and your pain, and He will not stretch you in use beyond what He knows you can do. But when we are stretched, used and worn out at the end of the day, you know what we get to take joy in? We have done something in His strength, for His purpose, for KINGDOM VALUE. Kingdom value is the riches that do not run out! Kingdom value is the stuff that makes this life have deep, meaningful purpose. And it's the stuff that at the end of the day, is the only that matters. We are the most fulfilled, peace filled and strengthened when we are being used by Him in such a capacity. I realize this thinking is foolishness to the world... but have you spent any time gazing into the eyes of the Savior? You will be reminded of why we do what we do as gloves as you look into His eyes of sacrifice. What He did for me...you know, a baby born to die...I'm not sure I can write any further for the sorrow that overwhelms me as I have to consider all He suffered for, for me. To give me life. And, in my past, I had the audacity to take the glory when He died for me, and then used me, and I somehow thought I did something that added to that? NO friends. The only thing I brought to the table was my sin, and He lifted me up from my pain filled, desolate, destructive way of life, and put clean white clothes on me, and said, "there...she is the one I want to use." Bowing low, in the presence of the ONE. I place my tear stained face at the foot of the cross, I rest my now cleaned hands down in front of the cross. "use me Lord" is all I can say. And then you know what we say friends..." To Him be ALL THE GLORY, HONOR AND PRAISE." This King, this Great High King, who ever intercedes for us, who suffered for us, who uses us, and makes us worthy, makes us clean, He is the only reason I want to get up in the morning. My beautiful Savior. My precious Jesus. My Righteous Judge. My Great High King. The one who sat down at the right hand of the Father and for me said, "It is finished." Yes friends. That is the one who puts me on His hands as gloves, and uses me. Speechless am I.

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