Unfair things...unjust things...cruel things...things that bring great despair.
Honestly, I became mentally and emotionally exhausted...discouraged...and weary. And I wasn't personally going through these struggles.
THEN I REMEMBERED. I KNOW how to conquer these feelings. I already have the spiritual weapons to bring defeat to defeat. It was time "put on the garments of praise".
As I began to enter into worship, my mindset immediately changed. I was not focused on the things surrounding me. I was only focused on praise and thanksgiving to God. It was freeing...refreshing...healing...and life-giving.
As I often do when I am worshiping....my praise journey takes me to many different songs and singers. I found myself listening to Gungor's "Beautiful Things".
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us.
God makes beautiful things out of the dust in our lives. Beautiful things...wonderful things...satisfying things. The teacher in me can not look at even the simplest word without wanting to get out the dictionary and look it up. Somehow this just brings language alive to me. It allows me to have a picture of that word in my mind and it breathes life into it.
I was drawn to the word dust. DUST is a noun. It has the meaning of powdered earth; earthly remains; the idea of a low or humble condition. The British define it as "ashes...refuse....JUNK."
God makes beautiful things out of the lowest conditions or times in our life. He somehow, in all His wisdom, uses us to build His kingdom from this "junk".
God purposes suffering to bring us closer to Him. He did this when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for us on the cross. Out of this came the most beautiful thing ever - our reconciliation with God. Our homecoming...our returning to be with the One who created us from this "dust". And with this gift we are brought back to the fullness of Him...created in His image....loved like no other...we become what we were meant to be all along.
His child...His masterpiece...a BEAUTIFUL THING.
It is in living our life in the fullness of Him that we discover what we were intended to be. The reflection of His glory...the mirror image of our Father. Through this suffering...this dust-covering...we turn to our Creator and find that we are becoming more and more like Him. We are changed into His glorious image. It is in the turning towards Him that we are able to feel the breath of God blow the dust off of our weary body...exhausted mind....broken heart. And we become the thing that was intended for His pleasure....the one that was "created by Him and for Him." Colossians 1:16.
A BEAUTIFUL THING...His reflected splendor for all to see and feel as we become His hands and feet in this broken world.
I came away from my worship time with this realization. I am so overwhelmed with thankfulness. Thankfulness for a Heavenly Father who would sacrifice His only Son for ME. Thankfulness for Jesus Christ who would so willingly suffer for ME. Thankfulness for the gift of the Holy Spirit who breathes life into ME. Thankfulness that no matter what happens in this world around me...I can turn towards my Father and His Spirit will wash over me. Cleansing me from the weariness and dustiness that comes from too much time spent focusing on the things of this world...and not enough time spent with Him.
You can have this too...every single person in this world was created to have this...God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Your Father is ready to celebrate your homecoming.
