God Sees A Different View

Have you ever done any needlework? Any cross stitch or long stitch? It’s been a long while since I attempted cross stitch. Sadly, my oldest daughter’s Beatrix Potter birth sampler is still sitting in a box, unfinished, after 25 years! (Time got away from me, as well as patience and also good eyesight)

Anyway, why am I talking about this at all? Because I wanted to remind you that God looks at things from the other side.

When you do any type of needlework, you’ll notice that the underside of your piece of work is very ugly. The threads are all jumbled and knotted and go every which way. There is no rhyme or reason to it. It might be colourful, but it’s downright ugly! And if this is the only side anyone ever saw, well, it wouldn’t be something you’d hang on your wall.

But, as you stitch, something amazing begins to happen. The right side of the tapestry you are weaving or stitching or embroidering, becomes a thing of beauty. The threads begin to form a picture, or words. The colours blend together into a lovely piece of art.

When we finish a project like this, we don’t want people to see the underside or our work. No. We want them to see the beauty.

Now, lets relate this to our trials. When we go through difficult times, all we see is the underside. We see the ugliness. The hurt. The pain. We see jumbled threads. Knots and mistakes.

But, God sees it from the other side. God is working in our lives to produce a work of art. He is faithfully, patiently, refining us and purifying our lives to become more like him.

We only see the trial as it looms so large in front of us. We’re hurting and we can’t see the point in it. We can’t see the sense in the trial God is putting us through. We don’t understand why we have to go through the agony.

But God always has a plan. He has the pattern in front of him and he knows what the picture will look like at the end. He knows just what colours to use. He knows what size needles to use. He knows the thickness of the fabric needed. He sees it all from the other side. He watches the growing happen. The blossoming of a life slowly opening up to his will and his way, and beginning to produce the fruit of the spirit.

He sees where our trials will lead us, if we only submit to his working and wait on him to weave the tapestry of our lives. He sees the bigger picture. He knows just what difficulties he needs to bring into our lives in order for us to become more like him. He knows what hardships he needs to send so that we will become more sensitive to his leading and more compassionate toward others.

He slowly breaks down the walls of resistance that we have built around us. He opens our eyes to seeing the needs of others instead of selfishly living for ourselves. He comforts us in our trials, so that we can learn how to comfort others.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

So, take heart if you’re going through a difficult time. Your heavenly Father knows all about it. He is right there beside you and he wants to see you grow. He wants to produce a work of art. The trials you face are working for your good.

Romans 8:28

 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Do you love God? Then it will work for good. Do you seek to do God’s will? Then it will work for good. Do you submit to God’s leading? Then it will work for good.

The trials that he sends will work for good.

If the threads or the fabric resist our hands as we stitch, the pattern won’t turn out like it should. If there is resistance, the picture becomes marred, skewiff or just plain messed up! The resistance results in a tapestry that is not as beautiful as it was meant to be. It’s not the same as the original design.

And so it is with us, if we resist God’s working in our lives. Through trials and tribulations, God seeks to mold us and beautify us. He wants to rid our lives of the sin, the bad attitudes, the ungodly character, but if we fight against him, things don’t go to plan. He is not able to weave the picture he has in store for us. Not only is the underside ugly, but the right side is not so pretty either.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

It's so hard to get to the place that the Apostle Paul was able to come to. It’s not easy to take pleasure in our trials. But God promises that his grace is sufficient. And he also promises that when we are weak, he is strong. And not just when we are weak. God is always strong. His power is abundant and everlasting.

I recently heard this quote:

“Either God is God, or he’s not. And either God is good, or he’s not”

And we, as Christians, know that God is God, and we know that he is good. So why do we fight against his workings?

Do you believe that God is God? And do you believe that God is good?

Then, believe dear sister, that he has it all under control.

Your trial, your sickness, your heartache, your burden, your betrayal or whatever else you may be going through right now.

God is God and God is good! He will do what he knows is best.

And the tapestry he is weaving will be beautiful. God will bring beauty from ashes. We can choose to view the right side of the trial. We can choose to turn it over. Our circumstances may not change, but our view will. The storm may still rage about us, but God will bring the calm. He can and will bring peace.

Isaiah 61:3

 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.