Renewal is in the details!

As I sit here this morning looking out at the dawn breaking, I contemplate what God is speaking to me today.  The word that keeps coming through is "renewal".  Now that had me a bit confused.  I had already pasted in the Scripture I was going to use and it has nothing to do with renewal.  Take a look.

 

Exodus 39:1-5(NKJV)

Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread they made garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 

And they beat the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads, to work it in with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, into artistic designs. 

They made shoulder straps for it to couple it together; it was coupled together at its two edges. 

And the intricately woven band of his ephod that was on it was of the same workmanship, woven of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

As has often happened when writing my observations, when I started to write I had an idea of the direction I wanted to go with it.  But God stepped in and took me in another direction.  Check this out.

 

Renewal.  I'm looking out the window at all of the trees with no leaves because the leaves are all on the ground.  It is the opening day of deer season.  It is the middle of fall.  Hardly a time that we associate with renewal. 

 

But I am here to tell you that through God's power, renewal can begin any time you want it to, as long as you rely on God's guidance and God's power!  Let me give you an example. 

I have long battled weight issues.  About 100 days ago I decided to change that.  Or more precisely God brought me to the place where opportunity and preparedness met.  I was ready to make changes in my life and lose weight, and I had found the tool that works for me.  In around 100 days I have lost 48 pounds.  I am feeling downright slender again which is how I have always identified internally.  I grew up as one of the skinniest kids in my class.  I have seen great improvements in my health as a result of my weight loss as well.

 

So let's call the weight loss the "reset".  That has led me to look for other areas of my life where I might make improvements and that is leading to renewal. 

 

Wow!  I did not see this connection when I started to write this observation.  This is an example of how God can lead us directly in our thoughts if we will just open up and let Him.

 

But how does renewal connect to what I was going to write about today?  Check this out.

 

One of the areas of renewal God has led me to consider is goal setting.  I have always had general goals in my mind and that has served me well though out life.   However I have always resisted the advice that our goals should be written down and we should have a detailed plan on how to get there. 

Why have I resisted that?  Because I wanted to always let God be my guide.  I figured if I sat down and had a detailed plan I was trying to play God and do it on my own.  I didn't want to do that. 

 

So imagine my surprise when this week God revealed to me the answer to a question that I have been asking for decades.  Why does Scripture go into such excruciating detail regarding the building of the temple and the priests garments, etc.? 

God can be very skillful with a 2 x 4 upside the head.  God said you've been wondering about why such detail for years.  Think it through.  They had a plan, a very detailed plan.  Were they "trying to play God and do it on their own" when the plan itself came from God?  Hmm?  (Even God can get a little impatient and condescending with His slow students :)

Oh!!! I get it!!!  If I depend on God to help me develop the plan than "I'm not playing God and doing it myself".  It's God's plan!  Duh!!!  And as long as I continue to lean on God as I implement His plan then He will help me make course corrections along the way.  Very Cool! 

So the renewal in this case is a renewal in how I approach my goals in life.  Just having general goals has worked pretty well for me up to this point in my life.  Imagine how well having a detailed plan developed with God's help is going to work!   

BTW, would you like to have this kind of relationship with God?  It's yours for the asking.  All you have to do is invite Jesus to be the Lord of you life.  Invite Jesus to lead you.  Just have a conversation with Him.  "Dear Jesus….".