You and I live in a fallen creation. Sin and death have entered the world. Everyone is born with a sinful, rebellious nature. But when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior He creates you new and begins a good work in you. You are precious and very valuable to Jesus Christ. He loves you with an unconditional, everlasting love.

Where are you today? Do you see yourself as valuable or junk? perfect or flawed?

You still have free will. The choice to focus on Him not the waves around you is yours. The choice to submit to Him and His perfect will for your life is yours. The choice to trust Him or yourself is yours.

Here are some of His words to help you focus on Him today.

Jesus Christ designed your physical attributes, your strengths, your limitations, your talents-Isaiah 64:

⁸ But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Jesus Christ has a specific destiny for you –Romans 8:

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

What differences do you suppose there will be in your life as Jesus conforms you more and more to His image?

What do you understand the image of Jesus to be?

Jesus Christ paid the price to purchase your destiny -Ephesians 5:

 ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

²⁶ That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

²⁷ That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

When Jesus Christ completes His work in you, you will have no spot, no wrinkle but will be holy and without blemish. What does that mean to you?

Jesus Christ already sees you as His finished product.- Ephesians 2:

¹ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

² Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Questions for reflection

1) How can knowing His plan for your destiny help you through circumstances and situations you do not like or understand?

2) Are you willing to allow Jesus to do with you as He will because you know His destiny for you?

3) Will you agree with Job?  Job 13: ¹⁵ Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:

He’s still working on me by Joel Hemphill

There really ought to be a sign upon my heart -Don’t judge him yet, there’s an unfinished part
But I’ll be better just according to His plan fashioned by the Master’s loving hands
Chorus

He’s still working on me To make me what I need to be
It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars -The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars
How loving and patient He must be- Cause He’s still workin’ on me

In the mirror of His word reflections that I see. Makes me wonder why He never gave up on me
But He loves me as I am and helps me when I pray. Remember He’s the potter, I’m the clay
Chorus

The Old Violin

The Touch of the Masters Hand– by Myra Brooks Welch

‘Twas battered and scarred, And the auctioneer thought it hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin, but he held it up with a smile.

“What am I bid, good people”, he cried, “Who starts the bidding for me?”
“One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?” “Two dollars, who makes it three?”
“Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,”

But, No,

From the room far back a gray bearded man Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet As sweet as the angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said “What now am I bid for this old violin?” As he held it aloft with its’ bow.

“One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?” “Two thousand, Who makes it three?”
“Three thousand once, three thousand twice, Going and gone”, said he.

The audience cheered, But some of them cried,
“We just don’t understand.” “What changed its’ worth?”
Swift came the reply. “The Touch of the Masters Hand.”

“And many a man with life out of tune All battered and bruised with hardship
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd Much like that old violin

A mess of pottage, a glass of wine, A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice, He is going and almost gone.

But the Master comes, And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought By the Touch of the Masters’ Hand.

Hebrews 12:

¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love; has uniquely designed  and created only one you; has a good plan for your life; runs with you; and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with your focus on His mission: to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti