... ON THE WAY TO BEAUTIFUL

Greetings!

It has been quite some time since I’ve written here.

Something happening ...  on the way to beautiful

It was not that I was not motivated to write

No – I actually let circumstances and multiple forces coming against me impact something so near and dear to my heart

I won’t ever do that again

I am not certain anyone will read this since we have been out of commission so long.

Yet I have a hope it will reach the eyes of the reader who needs it most

Maybe that reader is me …

You see – I was working this morning

And as I was working, a song came on that I had never heard

The song is called Canvas and Clay by Pat Barett

Truthfully, I could not tell you any of the lyrics to the song

I only remember one line near the end of the song

It was a line which COMPLETELY ARRESTED MY ATTENTION

‘If it’s not beautiful, You’re not done with me’

Why is that so important?

Because we live in an ugly world –

• There are countless individuals who are struggling with ugly situations and circumstances of life.
• This would be difficult enough – dealing with the issues which arise from a fallen world;
• And issues which arise from poor choices
• But, there are also countless individuals who are struggling as a result of the ugliness thrust upon them

You see, there are those who – unapologetically – inflict ugliness everywhere they go

And it may appear, at times, that the ugly circumstances have the upper hand –

BUT NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH

That is why this one line grabbed me and shook me …

It shifted my focus and ignited something in me –

IF IT’S NOT BEAUTIFUL – YOU’RE NOT DONE

IF IT’S NOT BEAUTIFUL – HE’S NOT DONE

§  That character flaw that you cannot seem to shake –

§  IF IT’S NOT BEAUTIFUL, HE IS NOT DONE WITH YOU

§  That marriage which has been on its last leg for years –

§  IF IT IS NOT BEAUTIFUL, HE IS NOT DONE WITH IT YET

§  That devastating and all-consuming financial situation –

§  IF IT IS NOT BEAUTIFUL, HE IS NOT DONE WITH IT YET

§  That terrifying diagnosis from the doctor –

§  IF IT IS NOT BEAUTIFUL, HE IS NOT DONE WITH IT YET

§  That crippling loneliness –

§  IF IT IS NOT BEAUTIFUL, HE IS NOT DONE WITH IT YET

§  That failing relationship –

§  IF IT IS NOT BEAUTIFUL, HE IS NOT DONE WITH IT YET

§  That painful past –

§  IF IT IS NOT BEAUTIFUL, HE IS NOT DONE WITH IT YET

§  That troubling situation with your child –

§  IF IT IS NOT BEAUTIFUL, HE IS NOT DONE WITH IT YET

Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us, “He has made everything beautiful in its time”

I love that the beginning of that verse is set in a past tense. HE HAS …. PAST TENSE

He has already made everything beautiful.

That verse goes on to say, “Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”

YET – the situations of life can sometimes choke that hope right out of us

But this is where hope lives – that eternity He has placed in our hearts – it has had a glimpse and is imprinted with an image of what has already been finished in eternity. It resides in the place where the God who was, and is, and is to come sits enthroned & working on our behalf.

In Luke 22:32, in a conversation with one of His disciples, Jesus says, “I have prayed for you that your faith would not fail”

Romans 8:26, reminds us, “the [Holy] Spirit Himself intercedes for us [when we do not know what to pray]

And The LORD GOD ALMIGHTY speaks in Isaiah 55:10-11 and notes, “…My word which goes out from My mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”

With that type of team working on your behalf – you do not have to worry about ANYTHING

Romans 8:28 tells, ‘We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

And Jeremiah 29:11 speaks to us directly from the heart of GOD,

‘For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future’

In fact, as I sat in church last Sunday, listening to a sermon about the nature of God, I wrote in my journal: “HE IS HOLY – there is nothing impure or evil in Him – in His being, in His doing, in His loving, in His discipline, in His thoughts and in His intentions toward me.”

HE IS A GOOD GOD … AND HE IS WORKING YOU & ME

I do not know what your challenging situation is this afternoon

HOWEVER –

IF HE HAS NOT GIVEN UP ON YOU OR YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE – 

     NEITHER SHOULD YOU

IF IT IS NOT BEAUTIFUL, HE IS NOT DONE WITH IT YET

Keep trusting, keep hoping, keep believing

Have a Blessed Evening!