Thursday, November 6, 2014

Take a closer look


"My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:15-16 

My dad called me today as I was on the McDonald's drive through line getting lunch. He wanted to talk to me.  He asked me if I knew the time I was born?  

That's a random question especially since I am 51 years old.  I took a guess but confused it with my son's time of birth.  I was born at 8:30 PM. 

He was going through some old photo albums and came across my first baby album. He began to give me other details of my early days of life.  I was a little thing.  I weighed 5 lbs.15 oz. with a length of 18 1/2 inches. He continued he described some of my first discoveries; at one month I could turn over on my own; at 2 1/2 months I discovered laughter; at 3 months my feet and hands were the greatest game as I could engage with my tiny feet and hands and did not need a rattle for entertainment. At 10 months I discovered freedom as my little feet and legs took motion. Here comes trouble!  I haven't been able to sit still since then.  Those who know me can say, amen!  :)

What a beautiful picture of a little life emerging and discovering life.  I'm sure I brought much love and joy to my parents.  They have been so good to me!

The Bible says that God has a book on me too.  His details are more descriptive and have layers and depths that I can't not really measure. He has a way of looking into the inner parts of my being that no measuring tape or scale can gauge or evaluate except him.

I may have been a cute little thing but there was something that I was born with that God saw fit to remove, something pretty ugly. 

The book he has on me has everything there is to know about me, even things I don't know about myself or have yet to figure out. 

As the Lord has sought to get my attention there have been numerous accounts of someone else trying to get my focus off the Lord of Creation. 

LOOK there is "an ear mark" on my book.

Age 25; trip to visit Mickey Mouse in Florida.  God begins to write: I finally got her to focus.  I drew her to a small gathering of my children, a little church far from distractions and I spoke to her heart. I  reminded her that though she thought she was perfect, there was a stain of sin that only I could take care.  I used a servant of mine, a shepherd of the flock to inquire of her; did she know that her life had been marred by sin and did she understand  that I came 2000 years ago to remove that from her? 

In my baby book I have a copy of my foot print; my foot dipped in ink and stamped on paper; proof of my identify so that there would be no confusion of who I belonged to.

In my Father's Book, there are imprints of another's hands and feet. Droplets of blood shed by Jesus; proof of the price he paid for me; a sign of my new identity so that there be no confusion that I belong to Him.  

You see, in that small little church, as the pastor ministered the Gospel, I found myself agreeing with what God says about me;  All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away (Isaiah 64:6).

Wrap me in a pretty pink blanket and take in the fresh scents of a new born. There is more if we take a closer look.

Don't miss the great gift that God himself wrapped in flesh and sent for us; for if you take a closer look this little girl that has grown up and is now 25 years old on vacation with her family; she has the stain of sin on her life and she does not know it.  

I praise the Spirit of the Living God who called me out of darkness and into his MARVELOUS Light!  That day my certificate read "re-born".

I enjoy both of the books about me.  One has glimpses of my life; the other has everything about me, even before I was woven in my mother's womb.

Thanks dad ("papi") for reminding me of all God had done with this life.

I praise you Lord!

Now it's your turn; look at your baby photo album  but don't forget that God has a book on you too. 

Is your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life?  What does the Lord's books say about you?

May our hearts bend toward the Spirit of God.  Now, take a closer look.



LISTEN | Look a little closer by Helen Baylor


God bless you!~Liz 

CHANGE, WELCOME IT!

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