What He Did For Me
“Now may the God of peace…make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.” Hebrews 13:20-21
When I did the Beth Moore study on Tabernacle, one question intrigued me greatly, and I wrote a very long response to it. The question was this: How did God, in Christ, meet some need in my life? When I first read it, I was tempted to write what possibly also comes to your mind first: “I was in need of a Savior, and He forgave my sins.”
But I knew immediately that there was so much more to consider. I filled almost three pages of thoughts on this subject. For one long afternoon, I wrote every single thing that came to my mind. I didnʼt just write things that I knew a Scripture would verify; I had specific examples of events that had actually happened to me in my life etched into my mind, places that I knew God had worked a mighty work in my life. Here is a sample:
When others turned their backs and I needed a friend, He opened His arms.
When people failed me and I needed someone to count on, He was steadfast and immovable.
When I was confused and disoriented, He anchored and settled me. When I thought I would go down in the waves, He buoyed me.
Surprisingly, now that I am looking back on those three pages of what God did for me through Christ, I see a trend: What seemed like a complete work of God in my life, was only a beginning work. None of the works are completed (except that He saved me from my sins!) There are layers upon layers that still need to be peeled back. There are many more “firings” in the “furnace” that I still must endure, before I can see His face reflected in this vessel.
But oh! The glory of that Face that will be reflected in me, as yet unseen, is worth every trial I endure.
Since that writing, I have continued to endure people turning their backs on me; but I find Him still opening His arms to me. I have been failed countless times, and I have failed countless times, but He is always the steadfast and immovable One. I think I will never stop being confused and disoriented about certain things, yet He anchors my mind and heart. I bob constantly on the waves, sure that the next thing will be the last thing I can endure before I sink to the bottom, yet He lifts me time and again as each wave crashes.
We are never finished learning, never finished being changed by the work of His Spirit within us. While there is still breath in us, there will be trials, but there is also hope. He pursues us relentlessly.
Father, help me to remember in the tough times that You are working to perfect me, but itʼs going to take a while. Iʼll need to learn the same lessons again and again. I pray that You are reflected in me in all these things. Amen.
I believe that all we who are reading this may have felt the same throughout our walk with Christ, and I can only pray that you are indeed on the right path because no matter what you have suffered and/or are suffering with now, you state that He has been and always will be your “life preserver”, and, indeed He is just that. Do not lose hope, and may I remind you, that the word “failure” really does not belong when you have accepted Him as your Lord, and Savior, because the “failures” past, present and future have already been wiped away by His blood. It is hard for us to forget, but He does and has. It is like a child who keeps saying he is sorry for the spilled milk, over and over, and the spilled milk has already been wiped away, and forgotten. I pray that you will have peace in your heart this day and forevermore. God Bless you for your honest vulnerability in sharing.
I echo the gratitude above for your vulnerability. I too have felt ignored by those close to me, and it hurts. So does my repeated failure (ok, I’ll say “lesson” instead) in one particular area of life. I simply love the spilled milk analogy above. Thank you BOTH for sharing.