“He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” Psalm 147:4
Last week I took on a long overdue project. I am a master procrastinator. It’s something of an art form for me. I had a white serving tray that desperately needed to be repainted. Actually, I had repainted it about 18 months ago. It was an ugly, beat up brown tray I painted bright white. On to which, I then proceeded to stencil some very mod black chandeliers. I think it was at the height of my Mad Men phase. It turned out pretty cute but I never did seal the darn thing so, with two kids and the hubs, it got pretty beat up pretty fast. Life is like that it, isn’t it? We start out so great and then we fail to finish strong. Ugh. Alas, that is a subject for another day.
Anyway, back to the tray. Design wise, I have happily returned to my shabby chic, rustic roots. Let me pause for a deep breath here. It just feels good to surround yourself with stuff that feels like you, like home, doesn’t it? So, my design plan for the tray was to repaint the whole thing ivory and then do a teal chevron pattern on the surface. I’d never painted chevrons, but really, how hard could it be? Um, yeah. Special Note To My Kids: Yes, you will indeed use math when you get older. I promise.
I had to carefully measure the length and width, find the half way points, find the mid points again and then tape it off matching up each mid-point with it’s corresponding point on the opposite side. I needed to measure to the sixteenth inch or the chevrons came out askew and failed to create the desired effect. It was tedious. It was time consuming. It was frustrating. But, in the end, I am happy I took the time and I am generally pleased with the outcome,save a few paint smudges. I paid attention to the details and it paid off.
With the beginning of the New Year I have once again begun my bible in a year reading plan. In addition to devotional reading with the fam and bible study with my girlfriends, the yearly plan is one that remains a constant in my spiritual growth. As you might have guessed, I started at the beginning: Genesis. I was reading the instructions God gave to Noah for building the ark. Such details God gave. Exact measurements, precise materials, minute details. At the same time I was reading this, the hubs was reading about the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle. Again, no detail left out. Nothing overlooked. No direction forgotten. All necessary information was included and all information included was necessary.
“But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:25
God cares about the details. He cares about our attention, our obedience to the details. He doesn’t call for us to skim His commandments and get the general idea and mostly follow them. No. We are to know them, to wear them on our hearts, to live them, in every detail. I’m not talking legalism here. I’m speaking of wisdom, of obedience. Just as with my tray, when we attempt short cuts, when we fail to fully obey, we fail to achieve the desired effect. We fail to receive the full blessing of God because we fail to fully obey Him.
“Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.” Deuteronomy 11:1
As believers we have all been told that God can answer prayers three ways. Right? He can say yes, no or not now. But often, I am convinced, the yes answers come with conditions. Often, God may say, “Yes, child. And here is what it will take to see this come to fruition.” But we act like kids and plug our ears and start humming after we hear just the “yes” part. We don’t really want to know what it will take, what our responsibility is, what we may be called to give up or go do to see our answered prayer become a reality. God says yes, but, scared of giving up our comfortable, self-centered life, we say, “Never mind.”
“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession . . .” Exodus 19:5
The details of what it takes to obey, to receive the blessings of God, to have the promised freedom of Christ, are where we become like the rich young ruler. The young ruler, upon being told by Jesus that he would need to give up everything to follow Him, turns around and leaves. And, just as with the ruler, Jesus doesn’t change his standards and run after us. The bar has been set. Will we let go of everything else to take hold of that which has been promised to us? What if, upon hearing the measurements of the ark, Noah said, “Never mind. It’s too hard.” What if, upon hearing the detailed attention required for the Tabernacle, Moses and the Israelites refused because God asked too much of them. God’s purpose would still have been accomplished. He and His plan are bigger than our no’s for sure. But, Noah and Noah’s family would feel the effects of Noah’s refusal. The Israelites and their families would have felt the effects of their refusal.
“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” 2 John 1:6
Refusing to obey God, to pay attention to His details, is not a victimless crime. What are you saying no to? Who is suffering the effects of your refusal?
“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” Revelation 14:2
Here is my finished tray. It’s not perfect. But, following instructions and attention to detail got me a lot closer to the desired outcome. It usually does.
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