Into His Image

I heard a man who was repeating what he had heard from another man and I thought it was a good lesson for anyone that is a believer.  I think it came out of the, “Our Daily Bread” series.  If I remember right, the man said that this other man worked with wood and he would get an image in his mind about something he wanted to carve out of that piece of wood so he cut off everything that wasn’t needed to shape it into the image he wanted and that is what the Lord does in our lives if we are believers.  The Lord sees the finished work in our lives and prunes us into His likeness, more and more every day.  Sometimes this may even be painful and we may experience things that we don’t necessarily like and some may cause us to wonder what the Lord is doing or what is happening in our lives.

Read what Jesus said in John 15:1-8, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much.”

The Lord not only shapes us and prunes us, He also chastises us when we need it.  Please read Hebrews 12:1-11, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”  Actually I think it would be good if you read the whole chapter.  

Jesus also said this in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Last of all Paul said this in 2 Timothy 3:10-12, “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

All of this will take place because the Lord loves us and wants to shape us and mold us more and more into his image and likeness.  If we are born-again and stay humble, the Lord will guide and lead us and be with us no matter what we have to face, just like a true friend because He sticks closer than a brother.  So if someone tells you that if you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior you will have an easy life without any problems, I have given you a reality check; but regardless we can all make it to the finish line if we don’t give up, if we have trusted the Lord to be our Lord and Savior and have repented of our sins and asked the Lord to forgive us, praise the Lord!!

May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super day!! PS don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord for He is worthy!!