I haven't written in a couple weeks. Here's my attempt to get back into the habit…
When I was young I had the opportunity to help my dad work toward restoring an old house that would eventually become my mother's frame shop and art gallery. There were many valuable lessons I learned during that time. This is one of them.
As we put into place the foundation on which the floor would rest, there came a point at which we started assembling the framework that made up the floor joists. I can't remember the exact size of the beams, but I would image that they were at least 2" by 10" beams, each one being a few feet long. Needless to say, they were heavy. It was hard enough for someone my age and size (I was probably 11 or 12 years old) to just hold one of them. Before long, the joists had been put into their places, and were awaiting the sub-floor's installation.
I can't remember the exact situation, but for some reason we either needed to move something at one end of the porch. I don't know why, but I can assure you there was a perfectly valid reason for it, and not because of an afterthought. I think that maybe my dad was just making sure that everything was level, and wanted to have it as exact as possible [we'll save the lesson on excellence for another time, but for now, you can read this]. If I recall correctly, my job was to somehow fit a shim of some sort underneath the joists we had put into place. When my dad told me to do this, I thought he was crazy. How were we going to put something underneath those floor joists? My dad had the answer.
He turned to me and said, "I'm going to lift this up. When I get it up, you put it underneath [pointing to the spot]." He then turned around, wrapped his hands around the beams, and lifted up that whole side of the porch. Wow. What power. I quickly did my job so that he could put the floor joists down.
I don't know how much it weighed. I just know that I was blown away that my father could lift that much weight. I wasn't even sure that he could, until he did it. After that, if my dad said he was going to lift something, or move something, I didn't doubt it.
Do you ever find yourself in a position where you might doubt what God is able to do? You may not explicitly say that, or even realize that you are thinking that way. Sadly, some are guilty of offering up faithless prayers (cf. Matthew 21:22; ask for the right things, too, James 4:3), that is, they ask for things in prayer, but still have those doubts in their mind as to the effectiveness of their prayer (cf. James 5:16b). In doing so, they lack a full appreciation of God's power.
While being able to lift a lot of weight here on this earth is certainly impressive, it pales in comparison to the heavy lifting that God is able to do, and the power that he has. The psalmist David expressed it this way:
"Once God has spoken, twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God," – Psalm 62:11 (ESV)
David writes this in the context of God's power to save. David also writes:
"On God rests my salvation, and my glory; my mighty rock; my refuge is God." – Psalm 62:7 (ESV)
God showed that power when he raised his son from the dead (2 Corinthians 13:4) and likewise by that same power gives us the opportunity to be with Him someday as well. Paul writes that God raised Jesus, and will also raise us up, by his power (1 Corinthians 6:14). But we don't have to wait until the resurrection to appreciate God's power!
When we think the road is too hard to tread, or our working for God takes us difficulty here on this earth, think about things the way Paul did.
2 Corinthians 6:1-13 ESV - (1) Working together with him [God, cf. 5:21, D.H.], then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. (2) For he says, "In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (3) We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, (4) but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, (5) beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; (6) by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; (7) by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; (8) through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; (9) as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; (10) as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. (11) We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. (12) You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. (13) In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
~Daniel
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