Category: 2 Peter

  • Chipped Chisels

    Being shaped by God to be like Christ

    Chipped chisel blade

    I recently watched a home improvement reel online,  which made me remember a minor project I had done years ago. I had to adjust the striker plate hole on a door, a two-minute task.

    I knew where my chisels were. Sure enough, right in the tool chest drawer, all except the one I needed. After twenty minutes of searching, I found where it had fallen off a shelf. Great! Problem solved.

    Unfortunately, not so fast. The blade’s fall onto the concrete caused a big divot. It was large enough to have to be ground out and then resharpened, which took about an hour.

    At last, I was ready to fix the door. It took about two minutes. Five years of procrastination, an hour and a half to find and prepare the tools, All that for a two-minute job.

    There are many parallels to my faith walk. Although I had heard the gospel, I didn’t come to Christ until my thirties. Once I recognized the need, coming to him was relatively simple.

    I was forgiven at that moment, but then the real work began. I needed to be reground and reshaped into his image, and that is an ongoing process.

    I had a lot of lousy thinking to overcome. I had much to learn about Jesus … the Spirit … and the Father. I had to begin to read the Bible and listen to sermons. I had to start to put what I was learning into practice.

    I had to learn to love and forgive others. I had to learn to trust in Jesus to do what He promised. I had to endure rejection from most of my extended family because of my newfound faith.

    When I tried to put what I was learning into practice, I often found that my blade was still pretty dull and needed honing. Sometimes, I was too aggressive and zealous in my approach to people, and sometimes, I was too passive. Sometimes, I tried to change things under my own power, not His. My heart was often right, but I did or said the wrong thing.

    Yet, He continued to work despite the foibles and follies. He never gave up on me. At times, I even saw victory. The process continues today.

    Sometimes, big divots need to be removed, and it can hurt. Other times, it’s just a gentle feathering touch on the blade. Still, other times, we are amazed to see how God works through us despite our dullness.

    The Bible uses different metaphors, but it emphasizes the need to remain close to Jesus and the ongoing shaping and refining.

    We start the process by accepting Jesus and begin the lifelong journey of becoming like him.

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this, you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9 ESV

    I don’t know where you are in your faith walk. Maybe you are in the procrastination phase and putting off trusting Jesus. Please know that salvation is a time-limited offer. None of us knows the hour of our death or the hour of His return. When that happens, it is too late.

    Maybe you are being pruned, refined, and sharpened. To some degree, we all remain there until we go to be with the Lord. It’s not always a pleasant process, but it is a worthwhile journey, and there are many times of great joy and gratitude that come with the grinding and shaping.

    Eventually, all those who are His will be with Him for eternity, and the job will be completed. We will be all He has created us to be. We will be prepared for whatever blessings and tasks He has uniquely crafted us to do with/for Him in glory. That will be an indescribable joy.

    Until next time, rejoice in the reshaping because what He has planned for us is beyond our greatest expectations.

    Kevin

    Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

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  • Herded

    A faithful dog reminds me of God’s faithfulness

    A border collie laying and watching
    Border collie

    The day’s events remain fresh in my memory. Many years  ago, Kathy and I took a summer drive to an old campground on the lake. Over the years, I had been involved in several men’s fishing retreats there, but Kathy had never been out to that lake. The facility was still there, although the province was no longer maintaining it.

    We parked and walked around. To our surprise, a big old border collie came to check us out. He likely lived in one of the homes not far away. He was starved for affection and immediately adopted me. Wherever we walked, he was at my side, getting petted.

    Finally, it was time for us to leave. He didn’t want to see us go. As we tried to drive away, he went into classic collie mode and tried to herd us back to our parking space. If I cut to the left, he moved in front of us to the left and then lay down. If I moved to the right, he did as well. If I tried to go straight, he went to the front of the van.

    It took some time before we were able to get clear of him. He was very determined that we could be herded into staying.

    His determination reminded me in a strange way of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit never gives up on us. He wants to see us drawn into the fold with Christ and Father. He testifies to us about Jesus. He convicts us of our sin. He’s constantly at work to help us find our way to salvation.

    He does all that because Father loves us and wants us to choose Him. The Apostle Peter writes of waiting for Jesus’ return.

    This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:1-8

    That gives me hope as I wait for His return. I have friends and family who don’t yet know Him. As much as I eagerly await His return, I long for those friends and family members to find their true freedom in Him. I know He’s on their trail and calling to them. My prayer for them is that they listen.

    Until next time, rejoice that He loved you enough to track you down and herd you back to the fold. Rejoice that He’s still out there herding the lost.

    Kevin

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