“Don’t Be Confused …”
Key Scripture: Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship…”
Have you ever been in this awkward situation? You are standing in a room with some interesting and highly ‘intellectual’ people. You are all staring at a painting on the wall. An abstract piece and everybody is raving about the work. WOW! What a masterpiece. Genius. Incredible. Powerful and other such superlatives are expressed by the audience to describe this work. You simply look and wonder, ‘what are they seeing?’ This does not look or make any sense to me? I can’t see what the noise is all about. It looks like a mess to me. Colours just splashed across the canvas and there seems to be no coherent form of rhyme to this so-called ‘masterpiece’. I wonder what are they seeing? What am I missing? You restrain yourself from confessing your bewilderment and simply nod your head in agreement, but quite honestly you are simply befuddled.
Then the celebrated artist walks in and he is introduced. He then proceeds to deconstruct the painting and explain his deep thoughts and what the picture really means. He shows you the forms embedded in the hues. He gives you his unique perspective on life and voila! You see it too! Ah! Then you truly believe and exclaim “Masterpiece!”
Life sometimes can be befuddling. People and circumstances sometimes puzzle you. You even are sometimes quite confused about your life. Who am I? What is this all about? What’s the reason for this and that? These questions come, but it is how they get answered that determines whether you are fulfilled of further confused. In the illustration above, it took the artist to reveal the meaning of the painting.
Can I also tell you that there is a Master Artist at work in your life? He created you and planned your life. He designed you perfectly and endowed you uniquely to perform the role He has assigned to you. He so created you that there will never be a duplicate of you. He finished you in such a way that you are irreplaceable.
The bible tells us in Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” The word workmanship simply means ‘Masterpiece’ or like someone once said a ‘Piece of the Master’!
So you see it’s literarily pointless to try to understand your life or your situation or your circumstances from looking and listening to what people tell you. You need to hear from the Lord who created you. Only He can accurately supply the information and connect the dots or strokes for you.
Currently the UK is in a confused state. People are confused and flummoxed by the ‘Brexit’ phenomenon. The world also is following and everybody has a point of view and so many prognosticators are trumpeting their views of what will be. May I add just one point here, there is a God who rules in the affairs of men, who decides the destinies of nations, who raises kingdoms and brings them down. The world seems to be hurtling towards some major catastrophic situation. It appears that things are out of control and the world is just in a big mess. Really? Honestly, God is not confused about the state of the world right now and neither should His children on the earth. We must be careful we do not let the noise of the people around us drown the still small voice of the one who really knows and can help you make sense of the situation. Just read the following scriptures and listen to His eternal word.
Psalm 2 – “Why are the nations so violently moved, and why are the thoughts of the people so foolish? The kings of the earth have taken their place, and the rulers are fixed in their purpose, against the Lord, and against the king of his selection, saying, Let their chains be broken, and their cords taken from off us. Then he whose seat is in the heavens will be laughing: the Lord will make sport of them. Then will his angry words come to their ears, and by his wrath they will be troubled: But I have put my king on my holy hill of Zion. I will make clear the Lord’s decision: he has said to me, You are my son, this day have I given you being. Make your request to me, and I will give you the nations for your heritage, and the farthest limits of the earth will be under your hand. They will be ruled by you with a rod of iron; they will be broken like a potter’s vessel. So now be wise, you kings: take his teaching, you judges of the earth. Give worship to the Lord with fear, kissing his feet and giving him honour, For fear that he may be angry, causing destruction to come on you, because he is quickly moved to wrath. Happy are all those who put their faith in him.
Daniel 4:7 – ‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.”
34-35 – And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done”.
Matthew 24: 6-7 “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
Psalm 139: 14-16 “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You.When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”
I know today’s post is long, but I just want you to know that there is a God who knows and who has you in the palm of His hands and who is in charge in the world even if we really cannot understand what He is doing!
Let’s Pray: Father God, thank you for this beautiful day that you have made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. I thank you also that you have not lost control of my life nor have you lost control of the world. I pray for your understanding to come to me, so I can discern this stage of my life accurately and discern the times and seasons precisely. Lord I refuse to be confused or panic, I simply rest in the assurance that you love me and are working everything out for my good. Thank you Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
