The One I've Been Looking For

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:27-31 ESV).

In building our new home I have been doing some of the work myself. I would say that is because I would save a significant amount of money; however, others have suggested that it is only because I am so particular that I couldn’t let someone else have complete control over the process. I will admit that it does give me a great deal of comfort to be “in control” over the process and doing it myself gives me the most advantage over how the work is done. I can assure myself that there certainly won’t be any shortcuts by doing the work. At least that’s the story I’ve been using as I work away. Whether any of that is true or not, I can say there is a great deal of satisfaction in the completion of the individual part of the process I take responsibility for. Recently I completed the construction of the deck. This picture doesn’t really give much of a perspective as to size. It is twelve feet deep and twenty-four feet long. It took forty-two support posts for the floor joists. That may have been a little overkill, but I wanted to make sure it would be unshakeable with as many people standing or sitting on it at one time as we might entertain. Each of those posts was hand dug into the rockiest, hardest dirt I’ve encountered in a long time! When I finally dug the last hole and concreted it in I smugly thought, “That’s the one I’ve been looking for.” You know. We always look to the last one of anything to finish any project. That’s the best one; it’s the last one. The same was true with the balusters. There are 168 of those to individually measure, set, and nail into place. The best one was the 168th one! It signaled I was finished. I suppose that’s why I went to the last verse of our reading today: Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Whatever life project you are pursuing in this new year, trust the Lord to give you the “one” you’re looking for. He will strengthen you for the task and bring you to a good conclusion. He is the only one who can do so successfully. Look to Him.