Post by Cindy on Jul 23, 2015 13:27:43 GMT -5
Psalm 33:13–15 —From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; *from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth— *he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. *
We all know that God created each of us in our mother's womb, but how often do we really sit back and reflect on it? It amazes me when I think about it and talk to the Lord about it. Every single one of us is totally unique. There is no one else that's ever been born, or will ever be born, that's exactly like me. Oh sure, there are twins and triplets, etc but even they aren't completely identical. When God says that He created us, He's not talking just about our physical bodies, but also our minds, our emotions, our desires, talents, abilities, etc. And He not only created us but He created us in His image, to be like Him. Whenever I think of that, I also think of how He's transforming each of us who are saved to be like His Son. In other words, to be even more like Him! Amazing!
This is the same God who created the stars, planets, trees, oceans, animals, birds, and everything in all creation, even the earth itself. He didn't just mix up a batch of molecules and decide that batch one was going to be this person, and batch two this other person, etc. No, He carefully, thoughtfully, molded us, knit us together in our mother's womb. The Bible says that He knew us before He even created the earth. When we're told He knew us, it doesn't mean that He knew about us, or knew we existed or would exist. Instead, the word in the original language shows us that He had a personal knowledge of each of us. The kind of knowledge you get when you know someone intimately. Wow! Knowing us intimately like that, He created each of us intentionally, and individually, in His image.
It doesn't end there though, because since we know He created each of us with specific talents, abilities, desires, and a certain way of seeing things, we can also know that He did that because He has a specific plan for each one of us. Pigs don't have wings, because God's plan for them didn't include flying. He didn't give me a natural talent for or desire to do math, because math wasn't going to be important in the plan He had for me. Instead, He gave me a talent for writing and a desire to write. Often we tend to think we don't have any particular talents or gifts, but God says that He gives us all talents and gifts, so we know that's not true. I think sometimes we're searching for some spectacular thing instead of just looking at what things we enjoy doing and realizing that's our talent or gift. It may be cooking, or encouraging others, or entertaining children, or working in an office or painting, history, math, or any number of normal things like that. The amazing thing is that we all have talents and abilities and that no one else is exactly like us, because God created us to be exactly who we are.
Having said that however, I have to add that while God created us to be exactly who we are, He does expect us to grow and change. He doesn't want us to stay like we are. If we don't grow, we may never realize many of the gifts and talents He's given us, or develop the ones we do see.
Getting back to God creating us though, when we carry all of this out to it's natural conclusion, we also realize that God created us to carry out a unique mission; that He has a unique plan(s) for each of us, that no one else could do. Let's say He created you to go overseas and tell people about Jesus. You say, well, lots of people can and do do that. True. But if that's God's plan for you, then you can be sure that no one other then you could reach certain individuals in that area. See, again, we tend to think of things like that in large groups or possibilities. As though God created 500,000 people to go on missions and had an extra 500,000 as backups. But God doesn't work that way. God created us individually. He loves us individually and knows us individually. He thinks about us- just us, not everyone in North America at the same time. When He has given someone the talents and gifts they need to be a missionary, He does that because He has specific people in mind for them to reach with the Good News. And those are people that wouldn't respond to anyone other then them. This is true for each of us no matter what purpose He's planned for us! In fact, we know that He has given us each the responsibility to tell others about Him, but that's where the confusion begins. We seem to think that means something like witnessing to people we don't know either on the street or across the ocean, and it doesn't. The very first thing that God intends for us each to do is to influence the people in our immediate life, that's why He placed us in the specific family and place that He did. Not so we could leave those people and go tell others!
Isn't that amazing? Even more amazing to me is that the plans He has for each of us are tailored to us individually. His plans for me do not include something that involves having to do a lot of complicated math problems. They don't involve having to do any running (I hate math and running lol). If we remember that He is the one who gave us our talents, abilities and desires, then we can also know that His plan for us will be something that we will enjoy doing, something tailor made for us. Because we're all different from each other, we each relate to the Lord in a slightly different way too. No one else relates to the Lord in the exact same way I do, or that you do. We each show a little bit of a different aspect of the Lord to the world. Consequently, we each have a very unique relationship with Him. Further, God intended for our lives to be aimed at these special purposes even before He created us!
So you see, God created us individually in His image, to both live with Him forever, and to live for Him now. Sadly, Satan developed the secular worldview to get us to forget God and live for ourselves instead. It's like cutting off our nose to spite our face when we do that, but we still do it all the time. I often think of how we're all royalty, and yet many of us are scrubbing toilets instead of enjoying the plans the Lord has for us. It's only when we live for God that we can reach our full potential as the men and women He created us to be.
Jeremiah 29:11 —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. *
We all know that God created each of us in our mother's womb, but how often do we really sit back and reflect on it? It amazes me when I think about it and talk to the Lord about it. Every single one of us is totally unique. There is no one else that's ever been born, or will ever be born, that's exactly like me. Oh sure, there are twins and triplets, etc but even they aren't completely identical. When God says that He created us, He's not talking just about our physical bodies, but also our minds, our emotions, our desires, talents, abilities, etc. And He not only created us but He created us in His image, to be like Him. Whenever I think of that, I also think of how He's transforming each of us who are saved to be like His Son. In other words, to be even more like Him! Amazing!
This is the same God who created the stars, planets, trees, oceans, animals, birds, and everything in all creation, even the earth itself. He didn't just mix up a batch of molecules and decide that batch one was going to be this person, and batch two this other person, etc. No, He carefully, thoughtfully, molded us, knit us together in our mother's womb. The Bible says that He knew us before He even created the earth. When we're told He knew us, it doesn't mean that He knew about us, or knew we existed or would exist. Instead, the word in the original language shows us that He had a personal knowledge of each of us. The kind of knowledge you get when you know someone intimately. Wow! Knowing us intimately like that, He created each of us intentionally, and individually, in His image.
It doesn't end there though, because since we know He created each of us with specific talents, abilities, desires, and a certain way of seeing things, we can also know that He did that because He has a specific plan for each one of us. Pigs don't have wings, because God's plan for them didn't include flying. He didn't give me a natural talent for or desire to do math, because math wasn't going to be important in the plan He had for me. Instead, He gave me a talent for writing and a desire to write. Often we tend to think we don't have any particular talents or gifts, but God says that He gives us all talents and gifts, so we know that's not true. I think sometimes we're searching for some spectacular thing instead of just looking at what things we enjoy doing and realizing that's our talent or gift. It may be cooking, or encouraging others, or entertaining children, or working in an office or painting, history, math, or any number of normal things like that. The amazing thing is that we all have talents and abilities and that no one else is exactly like us, because God created us to be exactly who we are.
Having said that however, I have to add that while God created us to be exactly who we are, He does expect us to grow and change. He doesn't want us to stay like we are. If we don't grow, we may never realize many of the gifts and talents He's given us, or develop the ones we do see.
Getting back to God creating us though, when we carry all of this out to it's natural conclusion, we also realize that God created us to carry out a unique mission; that He has a unique plan(s) for each of us, that no one else could do. Let's say He created you to go overseas and tell people about Jesus. You say, well, lots of people can and do do that. True. But if that's God's plan for you, then you can be sure that no one other then you could reach certain individuals in that area. See, again, we tend to think of things like that in large groups or possibilities. As though God created 500,000 people to go on missions and had an extra 500,000 as backups. But God doesn't work that way. God created us individually. He loves us individually and knows us individually. He thinks about us- just us, not everyone in North America at the same time. When He has given someone the talents and gifts they need to be a missionary, He does that because He has specific people in mind for them to reach with the Good News. And those are people that wouldn't respond to anyone other then them. This is true for each of us no matter what purpose He's planned for us! In fact, we know that He has given us each the responsibility to tell others about Him, but that's where the confusion begins. We seem to think that means something like witnessing to people we don't know either on the street or across the ocean, and it doesn't. The very first thing that God intends for us each to do is to influence the people in our immediate life, that's why He placed us in the specific family and place that He did. Not so we could leave those people and go tell others!
Isn't that amazing? Even more amazing to me is that the plans He has for each of us are tailored to us individually. His plans for me do not include something that involves having to do a lot of complicated math problems. They don't involve having to do any running (I hate math and running lol). If we remember that He is the one who gave us our talents, abilities and desires, then we can also know that His plan for us will be something that we will enjoy doing, something tailor made for us. Because we're all different from each other, we each relate to the Lord in a slightly different way too. No one else relates to the Lord in the exact same way I do, or that you do. We each show a little bit of a different aspect of the Lord to the world. Consequently, we each have a very unique relationship with Him. Further, God intended for our lives to be aimed at these special purposes even before He created us!
So you see, God created us individually in His image, to both live with Him forever, and to live for Him now. Sadly, Satan developed the secular worldview to get us to forget God and live for ourselves instead. It's like cutting off our nose to spite our face when we do that, but we still do it all the time. I often think of how we're all royalty, and yet many of us are scrubbing toilets instead of enjoying the plans the Lord has for us. It's only when we live for God that we can reach our full potential as the men and women He created us to be.
Jeremiah 29:11 —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. *
!!
