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Girlfriends in God - Apr. 17, 2007

 

 

April 17, 2007

Mosaic Majesty

Gwen Smith

 

 

 

Today’s Truth

“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

 

 

Friend to Friend

 

A few years back, my husband, Brad, and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Barcelona, Spain. The food was delightful and the local history was very intriguing, but we were completely captivated by the architecture. Intricate designs that had been hand crafted by artisans were all over the city. In fact, even mundane things like the balconies were exquisitely made of iron.

 

Antonio Gaudi, the famed Catalan architect, created amazing designs. One of his specialties was mosaic works that were made from broken ceramic pottery and tile. As we gazed at his tile and ceramic creations in Park Guell, we could scarcely believe the splendor.

 

 “Matthew Simpson, an American pastor of the 19th century, once visited some of the great buildings of Europe. There he saw mosaics - - pictures made up of small pieces of stone, glass, metal, and shell. Simpson wrote, "The artist takes these little pieces, and polishing and arranging them, he forms them into a grand and beautiful picture. Each individual part of the picture may be a little worthless piece of glass or marble or shell; but, with each in its place, the whole constitutes a masterpiece of art. So I think it will be with humanity in the hands of the great Artist. God is picking up the little worthless pieces of stone and brass that might be trodden underfoot unnoticed, and is making of them His great masterpiece."

 

That moves me. It reminds me that when the broken pieces of our lives are placed in the loving hands of our extraordinary God, they can be transformed into a divine work of beauty. Oh, how it causes me to shake my head in wonder to even consider that the holy God, the Master of all creation, the Maker of all good things, the One who hung the stars and called them each by name, the One who spoke the world into existence, would even care to hold my broken pieces, let alone work with them, spend time with them, arrange them, polish them and gently transform them into something whole…something beautiful.

 

That is exactly what God does. Through Christ, He made a way for our shame to be covered, our guilt to be forgiven, our hunger to be satisfied and our emptiness to be filled. He wants to shatter the lies of the enemy and replace them with His truth. God knows where you have been, what you have been through and where you are now. He is intimately familiar with you. His love is incomprehensible. His grace is extravagant and His mercy is undeserved. He desperately loves you and is extending His hand to yours. Would you reach out and grab it? Would you unclench your fingers from the pain that you are holding onto, and slip your brokenness into His palm right now? Let our masterful Lord create a stunning work of beauty in you. He needs all of your broken pieces to complete the mosaic. Are you ready for the transformation? It starts here and finishes in the presence of the Lord when we will finally be made perfectly beautiful.

 

“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

 

The metamorphosis from broken to beautiful isn’t an instantaneous one. It requires much. It demands a yielded heart and can be quite painful. But it comes with great reward. Let’s chase that reward together!

 

 

Let’s pray

Dear Lord,

Thank you for your ability to look at my life and see the potential. Would you take my brokenness - all that I am - and piece together a work of beauty that can reflect your splendor? Help me to bring everything to you until your work is made complete in your presence. Amen.

 

 

Now it’s your turn

 

Ask God to show you the gifts He has given you…talents…abilities.

Praise Him for those gifts and look for ways to use them.

Read Psalm 139 every day this week and claim it as your own promise from God…because it is!

Pray that God will allow you to see yourself the way He sees you.

 

 

To hear about the transforming love of Christ, check out Gwen Smith’s CD “Because”, featuring her song titled “Broken Into Beautiful.”