God's Handiwork

It’s hard to believe over a month has flown by since my last blog post. Life has a way of getting busy but at times it is busy with vain things.  I can’t promise frequent blog posts but I do hope that going forward, I don’t neglect writing due to vanities. I am praying for growth in self-control and godly stewardship and to walk in the good works God has ordained for me. My whole life is owed him, and writing is one way he has called me to serve. Wasted time has been washed by his blood and I trust him to give me all I need to serve him in all that he calls me to do.

I recently enjoyed read Isaiah 26:12-21. God encouraged me with this poetic passage which speaks of his saving grace and deliverance of his people.

12 O Lord, you will ordain peace for us,
    for you have indeed done for us all our works.
¹³ O Lord our God,
    other lords besides you have ruled over us,
    but your name alone we bring to remembrance.
¹⁴ They are dead, they will not live;
    they are shades, they will not arise;
to that end you have visited them with destruction
    and wiped out all remembrance of them.
¹⁵ But you have increased the nation, O Lord,
    you have increased the nation; you are glorified;
    you have enlarged all the borders of the land.

¹⁶ O Lord, in distress they sought you;
    they poured out a whispered prayer
    when your discipline was upon them.
¹⁷ Like a pregnant woman
    who writhes and cries out in her pangs
    when she is near to giving birth,
so were we because of you, O Lord;
¹⁸  we were pregnant, we writhed,
    but we have given birth to wind.
We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth,
    and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.
¹⁹ Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
    You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
    and the earth will give birth to the dead.

²⁰ Come, my people, enter your chambers,
    and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
    until the fury has passed by.
²¹ For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place
    to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,
and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,
    and will no more cover its slain.

Verse 12 reminded me of Ephesians 2:8-10:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”

What comfort there is in these verses! God finished his atoning work on the cross; through his work we are saved. Verse 10 is a wonderful reminder that those chosen by God will be saved. And his redeemed people will not fall away. He who redeemed us will sanctify us and give us the grace to enjoy and glorify him. We are his good work and he will complete what he has begun in us (Philippians 1:6)

As one who can struggle with wondering what the future holds and placing hope in my plans, I am learning to pray simply that I would walk in the good works he has prepared for me. That is his will for his children. I’m learning to walk one day at a time, trusting that by grace, I’ll follow the path he has painted until I reach the end.

I enjoyed Matthew Henry’s commentary on this passage and would like to share his exposition of verses 17-18. These verses remind us that our hope is in God alone.

He complains that their struggles for their own liberty had been very painful and perilous, but that they had not been successful, v. 17, 18. [1.] They had the throes and pangs they dreaded: "We have been like a woman in labour, that cries out in her pangs; we have with a great deal of anxiety and toil endeavoured to help ourselves, and our troubles have been increased by those attempts;" as when Moses came to deliver Israel the tale of bricks was doubled. Their prayers were quickened by the acuteness of their pains, and became as strong and vehement as the cries of a woman in sore travail. So have we been in thy sight, O Lord! It was a comfort and satisfaction to them, in their distress, that God had his eye upon them, that all their miseries were in his sight; he was no stranger to their pangs or their prayers. Lord, all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hidden from thee, Ps. 38:9. Whenever they came to present themselves before the Lord with their complaints and petitions they were in agonies like those of a woman in travail. [2.] They came short of the issue and success they desired and hoped for: "We have been with child; we have had great expectation of a speedy and happy deliverance, have been big with hopes, and, when we have been in pain, have comforted ourselves with this, that the joyful birth would make us forget our misery, Jn. 16:21. But, alas! we have as it were brought forth wind;it has proved a false conception; our expectations have been frustrated, and our pains have been rather dying pains than travailing ones; we have had a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. All our efforts have proved abortive: We have not wrought any deliverance in the earth, for ourselves or for our friends and allies, but rather have made our own case and theirs worse; neither have the inhabitants of the world, whom we have been contesting with, fallen before us, either in their power or in their hopes; but they are still as high and arrogant as ever." Note, A righteous cause may be strenuously pleaded both by prayer and endeavour, both with God and man, and yet for a great while may be left under a cloud, and the point may not be gained. 

Isaiah 26:12-21 also reminded me of Romans 8.  Romans 8:15 and 26 speak of God drawing us to himself in prayer and his intercession for us.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father! vs 15

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. vs 26

In closing, I would like to share a poem I wrote as I reflected on these things.

What am I?

A creature of dust

A fallen wretch

Redeemed

By grace through faith

The pages of my life are written

I walk in good works you’ve ordained

In days past

I danced for other kings

Writhing for affections

From created things

Things, by your glory slain

You crucified my whoring flesh

And raised me to new life

From every nation

Every tribe and tongue

Amidst a sea of death

A remnant’s brought to life

Your precious holy bride

You alone are worthy

Spotless Lamb that was slain

In birthing pains we cry

As you refine your treasure

Whispered screams of agony

Call out “Abba! Father!”

Where is our deliverance?

Wind is born and harshly blows

Sheltered in the Rock we hide

At your command

The earth will birth the dead

We rise and sing

Death shall not have victory

Behold our risen King

* The 4th stanza refers to spiritual whoring which is serving idols and following sinful desires rather than enjoying and glorifying the Lord. (see Hosea) 

I did not refer to verse 21 in my poem but I want to note that this verse speaks of God’s coming judgement. Today is a day of mercy. God will not cast out anyone who comes to him in faith, which is a gift from him (John 6:37, Eph. 2:8-9.) Jesus bore God’s judgement for our sins on the cross. He is our deliverance. In him, we have eternal life.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12