Before and After

 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:4-10 ESV).

 

I have been heard to say that I like to let the wood I choose to work with determine what I make of it. The picture that I’ve chosen to accompany today’s devotional is a “before and after” look at an ordinary piece of Mesquite firewood (on the right) and the finished product (on the left). I suppose my “listening to the wood” is not entirely accurate since I usually go to the woodpile with something in mind and choose accordingly. That is much the same as God choosing us for “good works” as the Apostle Paul indicates in our reading today (v. 10). God, the greatest artist, has a glorious vision for each of us. His redemption is not because of what we do; it is because of His choice for us after redemption.

 

I know that seems convoluted, but it is never-the-less true. Long before creation, God had a purpose for our lives. The apostle Paul tells us that we are God’s work of art. He has been busy fashioning us in Christ to be his masterpiece. But God did not create us merely for display. God has created us so that, in turn, we too become artisans. We are saved by God’s grace so that we will fulfill the plan God has had for us from the beginning. The means to that end can be tedious and difficult, but the results are always perfection.

 

Jonah is my “go-to” illustration. God chose Jonah to go to Ninevah and preach the message of God’s grace to the inhabitants. Somehow Jonah seemed to think he had a choice whether or not to go. We know how that worked out. He merely had a choice of how he would get there, not whether he would get there. He could have joined a caravan, possibly riding to Ninevah, stopping for refreshments at an oasis along the way. Unfortunately he decided to go another direction and ended in the belly of a giant fish only to be vomited out on the shore along the trail to the city. We do have choice in our redeemed lives; however, submitting to God’s design for us is always much preferred. God’s design is always best. Get in His plan. You’ll like it.