Divine Design

Waking up is a miracle. One I am thankful for every day. This way of thinking propels me into the presence of the One who holds all things together.I can proclaim the truth along with David in Psalm 139:7-12 :

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,”

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

for darkness is as light to you.

My awareness of the ever present nature of my creator is a gift from his heart to mine. One I never take for granted. I am learning in this season that everything good originates with him. And he does ALL things well. He is always good, always right always loving. That premise informs my days. Today, as we were reading Extreme Devotion by The Voice of the Martyr's, I was struck again by the truth of God going before, abiding with and coming behind us as our rear guard. As I was marveling at his total supremacy. I felt the spirit prodding me and I began to speak to my sons about the Purposeful Design of God. The hairs were standing up all over my body and I was so aware that this was a moment pregnant with truth...with purpose.
This surrender, this obedient life.....the "following life" we are called to, is not one that is more sacrifice than benefit...more suffering than blessing....
The whole reason....the whole purpose is... love !

The battle is not so much with sin as it is with the belief/disbelief 

that we were designed specifically for one purpose alone: 

Communion with God. 

This is our best life. Anything else is contrary to our purpose.

We were not designed to sin....

we were designed by love for love..to love...

The results of not believing this are tragic...painful...confusing and dissatisfying...depressing.
You can't use a hammer to paint a wall.
A paintbrush can't change a tire.
A shovel can't fix a computer ( although some days I'd like to try that one!)
It's all in the design.
This world is full of made-in-the-image-of-God, living, breathing perfectly designed  creations...out of step with their supreme purpose.
The result is chaos.

I realized today that my fight is more with the Designer..than with the enemy.

In fact ..in some ways...I behave like an enemy of God.

My beliefs inform my actions.

Faith is expressed in love alone...or it is NOTHING.

Nothing else lasts...Faith, Hope and Love remain....but the greatest is Love.
Designed.
Purposed.
For Love.
When we can't accept the love of God, the flaw is not in the design..but the application of the design:
I was intended for love.
When we refuse to love....again...it is not a design flaw...but misuse of purpose.
I am misusing this Divinely Designed and Purposed Creation...no wonder I am a mess !
A car is not a tractor...
An airplane is not a lawn mower...
A phone is not a blender...

It's all about design.

God purposed every one of us.
Creatively. Mysteriously. Perfectly.
FOR HIMSELF.
Relationship.Communion.

This is the pot surrendering to the potter.
The cloth to the weaver...
The metal to the forger...
None of those would consider rebelling. It's laughable even to imagine !
They bend to the will of the designer.
And yet I....sigh....
My problem is not with the enemy of God...
My issue is with God himself.
He conceptualized me.Designed me.Fashioned me and brought me into being.
And I live...what...how...my own life?
Contrary to my purpose?
Against my design?
My God. The arrogance.
This was the sin of Satan.
Not content to worship..but desiring worship himself.
Contrary to his design.
And chaos reigns.
War is born and rages today throughout all of creation.
Adam and Eve succumbed...generations followed.


My life...all of history... is a journey... a story...of the designed creation returning to it's original purpose....
Submitted, surrendered....abandoned to the designer...

"Come, let us return to the LORD. 

He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; 

he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds."

~ Hosea 6:1  NIV ~

Jesus was the first submitted one..." Not my will....but thine be done."
He trusted His Father's design.
He lived for his Father's purposes.

Jesus trusted his Father's love...up a hill to an execution stake !

His joy was in his trust.....in his Father's trustworthiness.
This is the only place we will find rest.
This is the only place of contentment.
This is the only place of  true joy...true fulfillment.
This is our calling...our reason for breathing...existing...
Trust. Obey. Love.
Fear.Not.
Be who we were designed to be.
His Beloved.
Live it.
This is the Divine Design.