Many of you have seen an invasion of orange trucks recently.  On the side of each truck is lettered a name that is hard to pronounce…are you with me?  The drivers seem polite, and not that scary if you are used to beards and flannel…But when the invasion leaves your home, and you see their artistic impressions, you are left with a sick feeling.  How could they do that to your trees?  I thought that it would be good to talk to the artists about their work…maybe offer a few suggestions, but when I did, they said that they are not paid to make the trees look good.  At least he got that right!

It was at this time that the Spirit of the Lord spoke to me.  God can fix what the world has done to you.  Anyone who has spent time on this blue dot knows that life can sometimes be really difficult to endure.  Maybe you are at the point where your passion has died.  I’ve been there, and it is no fun.  Or maybe you feel like your Heavenly Father is guilty of child neglect.  You may be at the point where you read stories of God’s care for His children, but then your next thought is – what about me?  If He cared about me then why ____________?  (You fill it in.)  This is a false accusation, but one that most of us feel at one time or another.  God’s Word tell us: “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.  When I awake, I am still with you.” (Psalm 139:17-18)  He also tells us that He is always ready to hear and answer our cries for help: “Lord, you are good.   You are forgiving.  You are full of love for all who call out to you.  When I’m in trouble, I will call out to you.  And you will answer me.” (Psalm 86:5, 7)

So know this today.  You may have the scars of the world, like the trees you see after the “tree guys” have finished their art.  But that is not your end.  You just read that God is thinking about you and you ARE precious to Him.  His heart is full of love for you, and when you call out to Him…He will answer.  What you now see is not the finished product.  God can take your hard, rough, painful experiences, and make them into something beautiful.  The only thing is, He will do it in His time: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)  It’s really hard for us to imagine what the final picture of us will look like.  Growing up, I had a friend who was an incredible artist.  He would always be doodling or drawing pictures, and I would sometimes sit by him and watch.  Almost every time, I had no idea what on earth he was drawing until a little time had passed.  Then I started to see the picture that was in the artist’s mind all along.  You see, when God does a work in someone’s life…it will be a beautiful masterpiece.  This is a guarantee.  He doesn’t make mistakes, He never tires, and His love for you never ends.

Today, like those trees, you may feel scarred, torn apart, and rejected.  Thankfully God does not treat us like the world.  Hear His voice today calling out to you…”Come to me, you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  I will turn your situation around and make you beautiful…in My time!

Book review:  The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

This book was written by the president of World Vision.  It is filled with Scripture and is written so well that it will keep your attention.  More than that God has used this book to remind me of what I need to focus on and how to get back to what’s important.  I wish that I could give a copy of this book to every spiritual leader that I know.  It really has changed my life and my ministry.  If you are hungry and want to fan your fires again, then read this good.  I give it 5 mega-sized coffee cups up!

Blessing to you,

P Ray