I sing for Joy at the work of His hands.

I Sing for Joy at the works of His hands.

The journey of ‘Identity in Christ’ is exciting and often scary!

Psalm 103:22 says, “Bless the Lord, all you works of His, in all places of his dominion; bless the Lord O my soul”. So what are the ‘works of the Lord’? In Psalm 103, David reflects and praises God for the work of His hands, as He has experienced them.

Make your favourite cuppa, take a “Selah” moment, ‘a pause to hang out with Jesus in this present moment’ and enjoy this psalm beautifully translated in The Passion Bible.

I recently had my own experience of this divine exchange, the work of His (Father’s) hands for some works of my own.  Father God was talking with me about my work ethic.  I like to be organised, ordered, and especially to use my time as effectively as possible, though on lots of occasions, I fall into ‘efficiency’ which is quite different, a form of drivenness and performance that completes my days with my ‘to do’ list ticked, a sense of achievement.  We talked about how for me this was ‘my normal’, partly personality and partly shaped through my early years being raised in a farming community where my family worked hard all year round.

Father God showed me that ‘my normal’ isn’t ‘His normal’  as this revelation came, I saw how I had taken my personality in all its strengths and weaknesses and in living my everyday ordinary life, oh so subtly, I have placed value and significance in these characteristics and they have become in me a form of religious works.  As the revelation continued, I saw another deeper layer of my soul where shame resided.  I saw it had long dwelled there throughout generations of hard working people who had not come to know they were intimately loved and accepted in Jesus Christ and as a result had placed their value and worth in those characteristics, in and of themselves good, yet they were never given to define us or to found our significance.   I saw its fruit of striving and weariness and its insidious power to rob me of creativity, of peace, of rest in God.  I saw its effects on those I love who in a season of life where ‘work’ is not possible it brings feelings of  helplessness, depression and despair.  Still another deeper layer was revealed and I saw a lie I had believed about God and myself in relation to my acceptance and significance.  Interestingly the lie was presented as a need, demanding to be met. “I need to live each day efficiently;  in a way that achieves maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense, in a well-organised and competent way” so put as a lie, “unless I live each day in a way that achieves maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense in a well organised and competent way, I have not met Father God’s expectations for me or my expectations for myself and I am unworthy of His love.

Wow!!  if you had asked me if that’s what I believed, I would have said definitely not, yet I saw its effects in my daily life.  I saw how in this season of transition as I don’t have a clearly defined role, it has placed expectations on me in how I structure my days, to serve, to be useful, even thoughts that “I ought to find work” when I know that God has prepared His works for me to do, and he has given me so many promises about what this is;  “Be a writer,” “Declare my word as you carry my heart” “Create and be a place of ‘Gezellig’ a beautiful dutch word that paints a picture of a cosy welcoming space where honour, encouragement, affirmation and refreshment enfolds a person or group as they meet.  A rich experience of relationship that long after the moment resides in intense colour and feeling in our memory.  In our english language the nearest word would be hospitality.  “Empower my people to live from my sovereign foundations, full lives led by my love in intimacy, relationship and purpose.” “And in all this be creative.  Live from the well of creativity I formed in you, enjoy life in me as we walk together in the contours of your heart.”

Father God’s presence was so close, and I was surprised when He asked me “Where do you want me to take you? we can go anywhere.” As I thought “to the ocean” we were there, vast, blue green depths before me, deep blue cloudless sky above, I felt the warmth of the sun that caused me to close my eyes with its brightness.  I was aware I felt fearful about what creatures might be in the water, and without a word, Papa picked me up and walked into the ocean.  I was floating, his arm supported me, the water was gentle and warm and as I relaxed into it I was surrounded by His Peace.  I was safe.  His quiet words, “my love for you is as vast, as deep as wide as the ocean.”  “Be held, rest, there’s no effort.”  I tilted my head upward to His eyes and met a powerful sense of love, safety, longing, mischief and joy, “We are together, we can play here anytime, the oceans are mine, I made them, I know them, I’ll hold you and keep you safe.”  I had an impression of the bigness of God.  I knew that he could stand here close to the edge, but that if we went far into the distance, he could still stand, that he could carry me from one side of this ocean to the other.  It was here as I lay still and quiet the lies left, the shame melted away, it was a moment but generations of life changed and transformed.   I felt loved, at home, provided for, you are strong.

As I lay there, I became aware of the musicians playing a song about surrender and one of the lines said, “I’m giving you my song.”  Father you have written so many songs in my heart, you have engraved them as you’ve revealed how deeply I’m loved by you.”  I stood and worshipped Him.

This encounter has marked me deeply, profoundly with permission.  Permission to be, to enjoy being creative, to wait for His promises and to enjoy His Presence.

I am so enjoying this song, Beautiful Jesus, written and sung by Melissa Helser.  Enjoy and soak in our beautiful Jesus using the link below.