Here we see a honey bee on a flower. Collecting nectar, pollinating flowers and creating honey. The flowers seem to have that silky texture today in the sun and much feels right. This whole picture seems a work of art, everything having its place and serving its purpose.
3 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.
I feel sometimes that I have gone astray. Sometimes I have pride, sometimes I think of just myself and devise plans to overcome problems, when really I am thinking of myself. One of the sins I must guard against, I think, is pride. That I don’t become too proud and start bragging about all my accomplishments, when I know in my heart that all the successes in my life have come about because of God. Even before I really started on this journey of getting to know him.
But the work of the Holy Spirit is to pray for us and to shape us, to hear the word of Jesus and let it free in our life. So when I become too proud the Spirit tells me and when I realise I feel bad and must pray for forgiveness.
As I write this there is a deep red and orange glow in the sunset.
God shows his love in many ways, just like the bee is collecting much nectar and will return to his home to create much honey, the bee is blessed and consequently the flowers are blessed and will pollinate. I too am blessed when the Spirit leads me to a good life, to live a good life. To conquer bad thoughts, negative thoughts, and to journey on with hope that God has a purpose for me, just like the bee.
I was led to Exodus 39:3 this morning on awakening. I had the feeling that I was being beaten thin, that I was being cut into strips and woven into the garments with the blue, purple and scarlet thread. I had the feeling that I, like everyone that is chosen by God, was being woven as part of this work of art, this great tapestry that God has decreed. We are all being woven into the tapestry and I believe that the time is at hand where a great awakening of people truly coming to Jesus Christ is upon us.
But I feel there is more to this image. The bee does his thing, he is good at it. I do my thing as best I can. Perhaps I am not good at expanding great theological ideas or making great talks, but I feel I understand God a little bit more every day and my hope is that I will see and experience him everyday.
Everyone that God chooses is being woven…
The garments being woven are priests garments. These are finely made and works of arts. Everything is a shadow of heaven. Perhaps it is not too far a stretch to say that we are the garments of our Holy priest Jesus Christ, we are his garments and his blood the scarlet thread runs between all of us, keeping us holy so we can be part of his creation.
As the busy bee is working hard and creating beauty – for our Creator, so must we be, as D.L.Moody says “to the work”, so that we can glorify God in our life and bring many more to salvation before the age is up.
Dear Lord, forgive my pride, my ambition beyond what you ask. But you know my heart, you know my desires and my hopes. I pray that I can be of use and bring people to God through my life. Lord God I promise to keep following you and to keep being thinned so that I am ready to be cut and woven into your great garment. Put me to work Lord as this bee is working through the warm summer days ahead.
Amen
365 Exhortations 