The Finisher's Touches

2 Kings 6:16 Elisha answered, "Don't be afraid. We have more forces on our side than they have on theirs."

When the events of the day, the circumstances of life, the weight of the heart start to overtake our strength and confidence and faith, when the shadows begin to creep up and threaten to darken the light that gladdens our life, turn to God. 

Talk to Him. Tell Him what is happening, what you feel. Let Him know what you fear may happen, what is frightening you, what you dread. He won't be startled since He already knows. He won't be threatened by any doubts you voice since He is greater than they are. He won't be worried about what to do -- He already has the answer.

When things like this occur in our lives, they serve to show us what is inside of us. Our reaction to them is instructive to ourselves. It helps us see past our own blind spots and know what God wants to work on with us. It highlights the next thing we can give to God and separate from ourselves. We need to give Him permission and access to do the work. Rather than identifying with the problem and feeling down about how we have failed God through what we said or did, or failed to, we can turn to God and say, "That is not part of the new creation You made in me. I don't want it. It has no claim on me. I reject and deny it completely."

Revelation 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer...Be faithful...and I will give you the crown of life.

Woodworkers in search of a smooth clean finish on the wood they are shaping will first make the rough cuts with mallet and chisel. This will, in general, put the approximate shape into the wood, coming close to the lines which show where the finished edges will be. Then finer tools will be used to remove smaller pieces, a little slower but with more control. Once the lines which show the finished shape have been reached, no more wood is removed, but sanding begins. 

As the woodworker progresses through the grades of sandpaper from coarse to fine, the finished surface takes on a gleam that lets the beauty of the grain and the color of the wood show through and display what the woodworker envisioned when he started. One of the final steps is to dampen the wood with a moist cloth. This causes the stray fibers of wood that have escaped the earlier processing to swell up and protrude above the surface, making what had felt like a finished surface feel once again rough and bristly. A quick couple of swipes with the finest, smoothest grade of sandpaper removes them and leaves the wood with a feel that is a pleasure to touch and a joy to behold.

We are His. He has created a new heart in us and has shaped us for His kingdom. He is putting the finishing touches to His handiwork in our lives. Don't hide when the bristles come out and we start to feel prickly. Turn to Him. Let Him bring out the beauty that only His craftsmanship and skill can produce.

Lord, You are the master craftsman. Shape our hearts through the events in our lives. Help us see Your hand at work rather than focusing on the world or our own flaws. We turn to You, yielding and trusting, thanking You that You know exactly how to bring up the beauty where we see only faults. Thank You for Your gentle and loving touch in our lives.

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