The Work of Our Hands

This morning, as I was filling out information on a resource's website, I was prompted to pick a "title" from a drop down list. Clicking the button I expected to see the standard, "Mr.", "Mrs.", "Ms.", etc., but was instead greeted by a long list of professions. As I scrolled through the alphabetical list, my cursor stopped on "pastor." A simple word, really. It comes from the Hebrew word meaning to shepherd. Not exactly a prestigious title. But when my cursor landed there I couldn't help but to become more than a little emotional. See, God pricked my heart for pastoral ministry over a decade ago when Rick Ferguson encouraged our congregation to "get out of the boat" one Sunday evening, and I've been working toward that end since that night. Last night my beloved church body ratified by vote that calling from so many years before when they voted to call me as their Pastor to Students. Author Morris Kline wrote, "The most fertile source of insight is hindsight." Looking through the lens of memory it is clear that God has been orchestrating events such that at this time I would be prepared to step into His calling, just as He is using the current events of my life to orchestrate how He will use me and my family in the future.

An hour later, during quiet time with God I read these words in a prayer of Moses, "Lord, You have been our refuge in every generation. Before the mountains were born, before You gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, You are God." http://msb.to/Ps90:1 And a few verses later Moses finishes his prayer with, "Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us the work of our hands-- establish the work of our hands!" http://msb.to/Ps90:17

God doesn't need us to fulfill His purposes, He's been at work since before time began. But He chooses to use us, He chooses to "establish the work of our hands," and for that, I'm grateful.

God grant your favor on this, your servant. Grant wisdom. Grant faith. Grant humility. Grant peace. And grant a holy fervor to see your Kingdom purposes accomplished in my little circle of influence.