God recently gave me the beautiful privilege of working on some woodworking projects for a few dear friends. He kindly showed me so much about His love and timing just through these three little projects. I'm amazed at how caring and compassionate God is in every situation. He is so loving and He is completely forgiving! He has taught us, 'Everyone who comes to me, I will forgive!'
This picture contains two of the projects and the third was made to contain His Word. He gave me the title, 'Time is within His Hands,' just like the line from the wonderful song, "How Great is our God." Here are the lyrics!:
♥ How Great is our God - Chris Tomlin
The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God
Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end
The Godhead Three in One
Father Spirit Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb
Name above all names
Worthy of our praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God
God is so good! This is an incredible song that He inspired. It is so joyful to praise Him through song and I hope you can every day! "Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him" (Psalm 147:1). Well, as I was singing to God with this song, God taught me an amazing lesson! He had me recall the line, 'The Lion and the Lamb.' God is gentle enough to care for a baby, and also strong enough to rescue us to eternal life with Him! He is the author of Life and Life itself! "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Jesus is God in the flesh, as recorded in John 1:1-2, 14: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." He is our Great God indeed who came to save us! He is always here to comfort and uphold, to love and to save, to give His righteousness and grace. Through simple, child-like faith in Jesus, we can be with Him, our God and Dad! (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6; Mark 14:36) Hallelujah! As I sang to Him and looked at the picture, I was delighted to see that this title was incredibly appropriate! First of all, of course, there is a clock and there are lions, but also, Jesus' face is depicted in the painting just underneath the glass on the coffee table. The lion, who is on the rock, just touches the edge of Jesus' face! It is just perfectly touching Him! (You can zoom in as much as you want, and it is just right!) I did not intend for this picture to look this way, or line it up, but God did! God really is showing that He is fully the Lion and fully the Lamb. He is the Rock on whom we place our faith and whom alone save us to Life! Here are some Scriptures for the line and these connections!:
♥ "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law" (Matthew 7:24-29).
♥ "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'" (John 1:29).
♥ "Then one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.' Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth" (Revelation 5:5-6; For some meaning here, 'the root of David' is referring to the prophecy in Isaiah 11:1-5, where Jesus would be a descendant of David, from the family tribe of Judah. You can read about this prophecy, and many many many others about Jesus, all coming true in Matthew! How amazing that they all came true! Jesus is LORD! May you see this article for more of the significance of 'Judah.' God is so amazing! Also, John, the recorder of Revelation, describes how the seven seals about the end times can only be opened by Jesus, for He alone has authority. Here is the note from my Bible's commentary: "In John's day, books were written on scrolls - pieces of papyrus or vellum up to 30 feet long, rolled up and sealed with clay or wax. The scroll that John sees contains the full account of what God has in store for the world. The seven seals indicate the importance of its contents. The seals are located throughout the scroll so that as each one is broken, more of the scroll can be read to reveal another phase of God's plan for the end of the world. Only Christ is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll"ta Jesus lived a perfect life and paid the price for our sins, rising to be seated at the right hand of God! He alone is worthy and He is the only Way to God! "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). He alone is worthy to be at the center of the throne!!! And, the seven spirits are representative of the Holy Spirit, who is God, sent out into all the earth. (To read more on the trinity nature of God, see, 'God's Holy Name!' and 'Three-In-One; the Three Parts of He Art') We read about this in Zechariah 4, where the seven lamps are of one lampstand. We also read, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." God is God! This prophecy in Revelation is describing how He is most definitely God, the same God that we have know throughout all the ages! He is the God of our fathers, of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. He is God! He is very amazing, and fills all of these credentials to show that He is God! All of these prophecies are recorded for a specific reason, but let's remember, too, He is so beautiful that even a child can understand Him! These details are not to bog us down, and even if we don't understand them, He saves us and He is with us! It is not through our understanding that we are saved, it is through Him that we are saved! Remember John 14:6! He shows us that He is the only way, Jesus, and that He is love! "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them" (1 John 4:16). And also, "Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matthew 19:14). It is really simple! He showed us His love in Jesus. When we want to see God, we can look to Jesus; all we need is child-like faith, and He saves us! Hallelujah! I pray that these details, then, can inspire us to see more of how awesome and full our God really is. He is wonderful!)
God shows us that Jesus is the Lamb, our Rock, and the Lion from the tribe of Judah! In the Old testament times, often a precious, innocent lamb would take the place of a person's sins. Jesus died in place for our sins, for we read, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23; see also, 'Breakthrough! An Introduction'). Because Jesus rose from the grave, and now is united with the Father, through faith in Him, we also share that Life! How great is our God! We read that He is the Rock on whom we place our faith! "As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that mades them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame" (Romans 9:33). Jesus said He is the way and the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him! (John 14:6). That is why He is the rock, and the firm foundation. Other's stumble on that because they think that they can earn it, or build on it, or add something to it. Many Jewish leaders at the time, and Pharisees, thought that they could do it through pious religion, but Jesus says He is the way. That is why it made them fall, for it is by grace we have been saved! "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). We can't 'earn' our way to God, and we cannot 'get right with Him.' He loved us first, and He is already right with us! We just respond in faith in Him! Hallelujah! How amazing! That is why it is good news!
♥ "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:10).
♥ "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:16-17).
♥ "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us") (Matthew 1:23).
♥ "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:16-17).
♥ "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us") (Matthew 1:23).
Also, as we read in Revelation above, God is the Lion and the Lamb! This is prophecy for when He returns, but as we read along, we can also see that Jesus/ God/ the Holy Spirt is already victorious! (To read more on the trinity nature of God, see, 'God's Holy Name!' and 'Three-In-One; the Three Parts of He Art') He has it! He already has won, and it is just a matter of time. In the meantime, God is bringing many people to know Him, and saving them! He is at work! Time is in His Hands and He loves you! By simple child-like faith in Jesus, you are set free in Him forever! Hallelujah!
Besides God's lessons from the picture and the title, He also taught me a lot while working on these projects! The word and lion carvings came first, and both have similar lessons. God knows us and has knows us from the beginning! He created us for Him and is in love with us! He loved us when we were still sinners, and loves us now! "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Therefore, everything that happens can be used for Him - to give Him glory. And He will love us no more or less! He is perfectly in love with us and has made us just right. For the word project, God showed me how He gradually, yet steadily brings His plan to fruition. Fruit is produced so gently on the tree. It comes over time, yet is there almost overnight! It is a process and also a miracle! Our time in His Hands is a gift and when He works through us, He makes it timeless! "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). And, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--hiseternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse" (Romans 1:20). By always looking to Him and trusting in Him, He will make it beautiful! I could not predict how the shapes and knots would all interact, but He could and it was much better than I could imagine! (Hebrews 12) It is always the same for us with God! "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21). Let us place our faith in Him now and enjoy Him now and forever! This is an amazing truth that God taught recently me through, 'Compelled by LOVE,' which He wrote through Heidi Baker. With children coming into her home, and watching the Holy Spirit change their lives, God led her to write about how we can come into the Father's house and that everything He has is ours as well! "And he said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours" (Luke 15:31). We are welcome to everything! I would recommend purchasing, 'Compelled by LOVE' (see here for the description in the inspiration section!), and reading the whole section, but basically she describes how when they first take the children in, they are often very timid and don't think they have access to the family, even to the fridge! The children who have been there a long time understand that they are completely welcome, and as the new children hang out with them, they gradually understand as well. She shared one story about a child who wouldn't even look people in the eyes because he was so hurt. Heidi took him by the hand and said that there was a Coke in that fridge and he could help himself to it any time he liked. Also, she would tuck him in at night, and look him in the eye, and that she loved him! One day, he went and got that Coke, and he was ecstatic! He finally understood that he was welcome! He realized that he was the Father's child, and no longer an orphan! Sometimes we tend to act a lot like this with God, and think He doesn't hear us, or care, or is going to be mad when we come to Him. But, He is in love with us! He is Love! "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them" (1 John 4:16). He wants to give us everything He has, including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control! He lavishes us in His love! And just through faith, we are his children! "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ" (Galatians 3:26-27). He is so kind and is waiting for us with an open, strong, loving heart! He is smiling over us right now! He wants us to be filled from Him; to drink from Him and eat of Him, for He alone satisfies our real thirst and real hunger! "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them" (John 7:38), and, "Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35). Hallelujah! Truly, He is the Bread of Life! Through simple, child-like faith, He satisfies us in LOVE! He is our sustenance! "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." (John 6:54-58). We can come to Him now and enjoy Him forever! He is who we are made for! Let's let Him fill us! The Father loves all His children! (Also, see more in, 'Jesus picnics!')
Jesus is so good! He taught us to pray, "You kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," (Matthew 6:10) as part of the LORD's prayer. This is truly happening! Through faith, let's let God live through us and bring His presence! Our God is a big God! When we trust in Him, we are amazed! (See also, 'Breakthrough 11: John 17:20-21; One with the Father!')
For the For the lion sculpture, He gave me an image of what the final project would look like, and with eager anticipation, I went to the hardware store to select a piece of choice wood. Right away, He helped me to spot it. It was just the right grain that He had shown me in the image. As I returned home and started working on it over the weeks, I was amazed at the progress! God was truly blessing me with every detail! It was a joy to listen to Him and work on the lion carving. As I was finishing, though, I became a little zealous, and carved a little too much off the tail's end, literally! The fashion of the wood here was a little more brittle, but it did lend to a subtle darker color, that helped exaggerate the final fluff. I couldn't believe that I had chipped to much away! Now, it was a bit off-balance. I realized I couldn't do much about it, but I did have plans at the end to glue it back on, and paint it to re-create the former effect. But God had better plans! This verse is true, for He said it: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). God led me to keep going in His strength! This is something He has really taught me recently. He compels us to love Him first and others as ourselves, as seen in the greatest two commandments: "Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39). He does this in us through His strength and goodness! "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me" (Colossians 1:29). This 'struggling' in Him is actually resting in His energy. God does the miracles and gives the Love, all we do is rest in Him by faith! For rest in God is victory! (Matthew 12:20; 1 Corinthians 15:57; 1 John 5:4) He is amazing! He is always enough! As He gave the energy to continue, we worked on the lion's head, the absolute last part of the carving. (I had saved the most challenging part for last; I have no idea why!). As God carved the head through the hands He gave me, I found that I was really having a hard time seeing the final result! It was difficult to get a lion-styled head, without a large maine. It was not looking very good! I don't think I was really trusting Him, so I stopped and prayed, asking God to help me finish it, and to work with Him! For Jesus said, "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:14). Well, from that point on it went perfectly! The head soon looked just right and everything was working out! I was really pleased and a bit surprised at how quickly it turned around, and also how I liked it so much! God, You Are so Good! He does care for every detail in our lives! We can ask Him anything!
Jesus is so good! He taught us to pray, "You kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," (Matthew 6:10) as part of the LORD's prayer. This is truly happening! Through faith, let's let God live through us and bring His presence! Our God is a big God! When we trust in Him, we are amazed! (See also, 'Breakthrough 11: John 17:20-21; One with the Father!')
For the For the lion sculpture, He gave me an image of what the final project would look like, and with eager anticipation, I went to the hardware store to select a piece of choice wood. Right away, He helped me to spot it. It was just the right grain that He had shown me in the image. As I returned home and started working on it over the weeks, I was amazed at the progress! God was truly blessing me with every detail! It was a joy to listen to Him and work on the lion carving. As I was finishing, though, I became a little zealous, and carved a little too much off the tail's end, literally! The fashion of the wood here was a little more brittle, but it did lend to a subtle darker color, that helped exaggerate the final fluff. I couldn't believe that I had chipped to much away! Now, it was a bit off-balance. I realized I couldn't do much about it, but I did have plans at the end to glue it back on, and paint it to re-create the former effect. But God had better plans! This verse is true, for He said it: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). God led me to keep going in His strength! This is something He has really taught me recently. He compels us to love Him first and others as ourselves, as seen in the greatest two commandments: "Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39). He does this in us through His strength and goodness! "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me" (Colossians 1:29). This 'struggling' in Him is actually resting in His energy. God does the miracles and gives the Love, all we do is rest in Him by faith! For rest in God is victory! (Matthew 12:20; 1 Corinthians 15:57; 1 John 5:4) He is amazing! He is always enough! As He gave the energy to continue, we worked on the lion's head, the absolute last part of the carving. (I had saved the most challenging part for last; I have no idea why!). As God carved the head through the hands He gave me, I found that I was really having a hard time seeing the final result! It was difficult to get a lion-styled head, without a large maine. It was not looking very good! I don't think I was really trusting Him, so I stopped and prayed, asking God to help me finish it, and to work with Him! For Jesus said, "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:14). Well, from that point on it went perfectly! The head soon looked just right and everything was working out! I was really pleased and a bit surprised at how quickly it turned around, and also how I liked it so much! God, You Are so Good! He does care for every detail in our lives! We can ask Him anything!
As I finished the head, I did notice that it was a lot smaller than I had anticipated. It didn't look abnormal, though. In fact, the shorter length of the tail helped to balance the head! I laughed and realized that God had planned it this way from the beginning. I had the lion loose a little bit of weight to completely finish, and the proportions and balance were brought to life! I know that God is good! He had me sign on the bottom of the rock His initials and mine right next to His.
God also taught me a unique lesson through the clock project. It is simple, but amazing; and in that way, just like the gospel! Jesus died for us and now lives! Hallelujah! Through simple, child-like faith in Him, we are saved to eternity with our amazing God! Hallelujah!!!!!!! He is so good!
First, He led me to pick out just the right piece of rosewood. It had a small crack in an area that I was going to cut out, and so was marked way down - similar pieces were almost five times more expensive! I thought this was important because He also works in spite of the 'cracks' in our lives! He see's us for who He made us to be, not for any weaknesses. He makes those who are weak in the eyes of the world, strong in Him, filled with Him and His beauty! (Interestingly, too, 'sincere' comes from the Italian word for a type of pottery that was 'without' 'cracks'! Well, after I returned home and started to work on it, I was in awe! I've always enjoyed working with wood for many reasons, but one of the most is the smell! We so often praise God for His beauty in visual things, or in song, but He has also made the most wonderful tastes and smells, emotions, and friends! He is so creative! As He has had me work with different species of wood over the years, I've gotten a bit used to some of the major smells. Well, this rosewood was much different. As soon as I started getting into the sanding, I caught it! It smelled like chocolate and cinnamon! Chocolate and cinnamon! It really did! I loved working on this project, and I was just smiling with God the whole time! He is so good!
Time is in His Hands! These were just a few little projects and this picture was so small and took so little time to take, but God reveals to us so much of His truth form them. Consider how amazing God is in every detail of your life, all the time! And God is outside of time! He really is perfect and admirable! He is our strong, and gentle Dad, and He is in Love with us! He is here! He is our God! Praise Him!!!!!!!
ta See the footnote on 5:1, pg. 2150
Life Application Bible: New International Version. Wheaton And Grand Rapids: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. and Zondervan, 1991. 2150. Print.
♥ God cares about every detail in your life! He loves you!
