Taking Care of Business
It’s a beautiful, sunshiny (Is that a word? I’m going to use it regardless) day. I’ve muddled through my prayer time, my morning talk with the Lord. I have no excuse. I just muddled it. Of course, I did wake up with an ocular migraine (those lovely flashy light thingies that block your vision before you get the real migraine) and the pain in my shoulder was so bad it felt as if I had sharp daggers driving into the joint. But hey, you didn’t come here for TMI (too much information).
However, the reason for my TMI has a point. I woke up in pain. So trying to talk to the Lord while in pain, well let’s just say it didn’t go very well. Then I tried to do my exercises for the shoulder that’s in pain and even that didn’t go well. Just trying to take care of business, the sharp, shooting pains prevented me from doing the exercises properly. But at least I got some of them done. Then I cried because I don’t have as much movement in that shoulder as I should. Frankly, it bothers me.
Then I sat down to read my daily devotion and today’s lesson is on giving our best will always cost us something, but God always gave His best to His people. How can I give my best when I’m in pain? I can’t even think straight much less concentrate on what I need to pray about. Then I read, “Our human tendency is to give what’s easiest and cheapest to God. God saw our potential to do that and went so far as to detail the imperfections that would make it less valuable.” *
In the Old Testament, God laid out the details of the sacrifices to be brought to the temple. He already knew that this would never be enough to cover our sins. So He sent Jesus as our perfect sacrifice. The blood of Jesus covers everything, once for all, so that we no longer have to bring perfect sacrifices for our sins. All we have to do is trust in Jesus. When we do that, we are now under His blood and all our sins are covered.What does this have to do with my painful shoulder? Well, as I’m sitting here, crying out to God, asking Him what He’s trying to teach me, my thoughts went back to this devotion. Past sacrifices had to be perfect. Then Jesus became my sacrifice. He was perfect. And it hit me; as I sit here, upset over my shoulder and the pain I’m in, I realize that I would not have been nor would I ever be a perfect sacrifice. I would need help and Jesus is just that, my Help.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” ~ Psalm 46:1, NIV
Whether my shoulder stops hurting or not is irrelevant. The whole point is that He is there for me regardless. He took care of my business. I don’t have to be perfect, act perfect, or talk perfect. My prayers don’t have to be said the perfect way. All I have to do is come boldly to Him. Trust Him. Talk to Him. He is there, always.
So today, as I muddle through the pain I’m in, I will adjust my tiara as best as I can and walk with the dignity that Jesus gave me. Because after all, when He became my sacrifice, He took care of my business and your business. We were adopted by God and became heirs to a Kingdom much greater than any this world has ever seen. I’m glad that I belong to Him. He takes care of His own.
So what about my shoulder? It’s okay. It’ll be okay. We have to go through trials to learn. Right now, I’m learning to trust Him even more. When this is over, I’ll be stronger for it. God never said life is perfect. But Jesus is. So I’m going with that and going to enjoy my sunshiny day.
How about you?
* Excerpt from First5 devotion, A Worthy Offering by Wendy Pope. First5 is a division of Proverbs 31 Ministries.
