Greetings to you the wonderful name of Jesus Christ – THE Risen Savior! Wow! – what a beautiful morning that the Lord has made for us to rejoice and be glad in! I believe it is going to be warm…very warm, so we will need to be really “cool” followers of Jesus and find those green pastures by quiet waters so that we can rest and be restored. This morning I will be praying for you, asking Father to keep His eye on you…may He wrap His love around you…may His grace protect you…may His mercy be your defense…may His joy be your strength…and may He anoint your head with the oil of divine healing.
I have been pondering a verse that was referenced this past Sunday: For we are his masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NLT. I must confess that we did not linger on that verse…perhaps that is why I have ‘pondering’ it. However, this morning my focus was drawn away from the word “masterpiece” to the phrase “created us anew“. He took the bits and pieces, the raw materials that we offered Him…”the heart aches and broken pieces” as the song suggests and made something beautiful of our lives…but how?
I believe He employed an artistic technique called…”redemption“. Imagine this, He dabbed His paintbrush across the foolishness of sin and painted the colorful display of wisdom…and then He used the spatula to smear power over the weakness of sin…and then He mixed together colors that revealed the depth of forgiveness that covers the guilt of sin…and then using some bold, bright colors He highlighted the act of deliverance from the bondage of sin. He created…or rather, re-created the “masterpiece” that you and I are.
Now, the exciting part of this verse is that “the Masterpiece” was not created to simply be on display…looking good somewhere. No, the Masterpiece was to have purpose – to do good things that He planned for it to do. Amazing, we have a purpose…as I shared with my congregation – we were created as “action figures”…maybe even “transformers” to adapt, to fit into circumstances, relationships, congregations, families, workplaces…to serve the Artist who is in residence within us.
Now…are you listening? — You are His masterpiece…created anew in Christ Jesus…to do good things! Everyone has value and purpose…that is the way He planned it, the way He wanted it to be.
Ponder that for a while…and be blessed!