Thriving Hands

This morning, I sat atop my bed with Bible and coffee in hand, where I begin talking to my Everything. Suddenly, the urge to blog taps somewhere deep in my Spirit. This little tap has been growing steadily over the last few weeks, and the blogger who hasn't blogged in almost six months has been ignoring it.

"I need to hear from Him first," this was my excuse to myself, "I will start up again as soon as He says to." But those soft little taps in my Spirit, the ones that have been ever growing, have been from Him. My worldly flesh is lazy, it would easily cop out of any kind of effort, and the enemy definitely wouldn't be persuading me to blog. In fact, I think he's enjoyed very much that I have stopped cold turkey.

I breathe in deep and think to myself, "Maybe another day." But God, He had other plans. I had a revelation that I knew I needed to share. I also needed to share just how beautifully He lead me through it in His word:

In the quiet still morning I think to myself, 'If He created my hands, and I know that He creates with purpose, then He created my hands with purpose. When I put my hands to that purpose, my spiritual giftings, my hands thrive. The once clumsy flesh hands suddenly become steady, entwined with the medium of which He has called them in.'

I open the Bible on my lap. He currently has me reading a chapter of Numbers and a chapter of Psalms each morning. I begin in Numbers:

So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave them twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron's staff was among them. Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law. The next day Moses entered the tent and saw Aarons staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.

Numbers 17:6-8

This sprouting, budding, blossoming, and producing was a sign from God that Aaron's family was chosen to do the work of priests, and this sign came after much grumbling and questioning of leadership from some of the Israelites.

God had performed this because He wanted to make it clear to all the Israelites that He had called Aaron for this very purpose. God had created Aaron's hands for priestly duties. And the staff, arguably the extension of Aaron's hand, sprouted, budded, blossomed, and ultimately produced something. Not on it's own accord, but through God. This fact left this blogger asking, "When I am putting my hands to the things He has called me to do, am I not also producing something, even when it doesn't feel like it?"

That quiet still whisper utters the answer - "Yes."

I finish the rest of chapter 17 and turn to my chapter in Psalms for the day - chapter 15.

(1) Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? (2) The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth with their heart;

I jot these two verses down in my journal and scrawl underneath it:

'This is me when I root my identity, my abilities, and my worth IN CHRIST.'

I circle this statement and draw an arrow from it to the second verse. As my pen moves, I can't help but think of Psalm 5:8; 'Lead me, Lord in your righteousness because of my enemies - make your way straight before me.' His righteousness. I am only accredited righteousness through faith in Jesus. It all started with His righteousness, with His sacrifice on the cross.

I look back at verse two:

The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, (...)

The one who DOES what is righteous... The one who denies themselves and their flesh, choosing instead to do (to put their hands to the things of God)... I realize it then: I need to be discerning of what my hands are doing. If my body is a temple, so are my hands. If I am Jesus' hands and feet, then my hands are extensions of Christ.

God called Aaron to priesthood, and He has also called me for very specific reasons. I write it down in my journal so I don't forget:

'Where He has called me is where the work of my hands thrive.'

I underline this word 'thrive' and write beside it: 'in other words, the extension of my hands blossom in the place in which He has anointed me.'

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as it's own. As it is, you do not belong the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

John 15:19

He has chosen me out of the world. He has called me away from the things of the flesh and into the things of Him. Which begs the question, "Is the work of my hands a reflection of this? Do I pursue my callings or do I let the lazy flesh win?"

Did I let the flesh win when I stopped blogging? When did it happen? When did the months slip past me? And, all of a sudden, it's been half a year since I put my hands to this, something God has called me to do. But you see, my hands haven't been completely idol.

I suppose this is a good time as any to announce to you, my readers, that I have been writing a book. Don't expect it anytime soon; I'm still living out some of the things that need to go in it. Also, know that I am moving across the world this summer, so I am not on any kind of blogging schedule, but I will no longer ignore those little taps in my spirit. I will not deny my hands the thriving He has called of them.