“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.” Ps. 90:17
It would have been nice when my sons were babies to have someone in the church, encourage me that what I was doing in the daily, unseen, ministry of motherhood was Holy work for God. I knew it. I had prayed HARD for all of this. I believe I did lack biblical support as there were not Titus 2 Women who were present.
Although I knew it, in those very early years, I did not understand it, to the way I believe God really wants us to grasp. It would have been helpful to have someone remind me washing those bottles, changing those diapers, up in the night, along with putting aside my own pain to care for another, all these things are truly work for a Holy cause for the sake of the Kingdom of God. I praise God that He grew this understanding quickly, and in the many ways in which I lacked, He covered by His beautiful grace.
Through the years of home schooling and such, I encountered a culture of “Christianity” quite opposite of what I knew to be true. Trying to convince me to quit home schooling because it was just too hard. When I shared challenges, looking for a prayer partner or an encouragement in some form, I often received opposite, maybe it’s just too much. Really? I knew that was not the answer. I KNEW I was committed to this and I would not turn back.
Wow. I truly stood alone the majority of raising children. Eventually I accepted this walking a path that was so foreign to most others around me. This hard work, full of immense blessing, was and is exactly the Holy work I am called to do. The fruit is immense. Don’t quit the call to the Holy life God has for you.
When I say Holy. God is Holy. I am a sinner saved by His Holiness. Through obedience to Him, He makes us purer as we remove ourselves from the equation, and make serving about Him and the people He puts in our lives.
This scripture above is part of A beautiful Prayer Of Moses. Without God, our work amounts to nothing. His focus on God’s greatness, our human weakness, and our need for the Lord to provide grace for our daily needs. We are to seek wisdom and to live each day to its fullest for the glory of God.
As I was making this apple pie for my husband and sons, I knew I was a little tired, and was throwing the ingredients in without any measuring, and even trying a bit of creativity on a new way to make the crust. As silly as it may sound, but understanding my heart, I spoke out “Lord bless the work of your servant’s hands…”
I REALLY wanted this to turn out well to really bless not only their taste buds and stomach but their hearts. Mostly I remembered I was doing this for the Lord. No matter what the pie tastes like, perfection or not, it’s the heart of love for God first, and family that matters most. The pie turned out one of the tastiest ever I have made. Their hearts were delighted.
What I want to convey is the beauty of the Lord. The beauty of surrendering our all, and truly believing His Word and living it out in every nitty gritty, beautiful piece of life. It takes practice, exercise, and abiding in Him.
There is an enemy of our souls who will lie, attack, cause doubt, fear, and want you to quit the hard thing, God calls you to. However, continued resistance, with a heart determined to listen and obey God, will be blessed.
What is God calling you to use your hands for today? What season are you in? I want to cheer on those mothers who may not have the biblical support that I lacked. I want to also, cheer you on, that if you were on a deserted island with just your family, and a bible, a relationship with Jesus the Messiah, you should trust you have all you need. I also want to say, God gave us Sisters in Christ, and a call for older women, younger women and a relationship together to strengthen the call in marriage, child raising, home. Titus 2 speaks of this.
Every season for a woman of God, there is a calling from God to pray, “Lord establish the work of our hands”. And obey. Whether it’s stitching blankets as one older beautiful woman of God and praying for the recipient, or writing notes to bless another, or sitting in the quiet with hands folded praying for others for Salvation, healing, help, hope, the list goes on. Whether it’s out in the community, or quietly tucked away, God sees. He hears. He blesses a servants work, whose heart is doing it all for the purposes of others to know the love of Christ, receive the love of Christ, be strengthened in the love of Christ, for the GREATEST CAUSE the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
So God bless you today. Each minute of the day. And perhaps, taking a moment to sit, take a deep breath midway, or at the end, and notice all the little things you did with hands and heart in service to God. As you drew on the strength, promises, every Word of God.
I don’t ever want anyone who desires encouragement to be left alone. I am grateful as our sons were a bit older for an older woman of God coming into my life, to give me courage to keep pressing on. ENCOURAGE: to give COURAGE.
May you be blessed with BIBLICAL ENCOURAGEMENT TODAY. To use, take heart, and allow to strengthen you to go the way that leads to blessing, joy, life, now and forevermore.
“…the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—
that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good,
obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”
Titus 2:3-5
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Amazing read sweetheart! Yes, I read the whole thing.