Devotional for Saturday, November 25, 2017
“Yes…God Is At Work In You!”
by Dona Hake
Back in the day before digital cameras there was quite a process to receiving prints from a roll of film from your camera. My very first job was working in a photo lab, and I loved it! Such an experience of learning and appreciated the art of photography. I was blessed with the opportunity of getting to work almost every station within this photo lab. I got to see the whole process of what it took to give the customer a quality end result.
I went from sorting film, to splicing and cutting negatives, printing color and black and white negatives, using the darkroom, and inspecting pictures. I can remember being an inspector and it was somewhat of a nerve racking job. If you passed a print as satisfactory, and the customer did not like it, you would sometimes be called down on it. I learned to really examine each image very critically. Was the color off, too light, too dark, or dirt on the image? Whatever it was, there was a process till the end result was satisfactory. As a printer I learned to read a negative very closely and determine the exact amount of light to give it so it was printed perfectly. I especially loved when I got to do this part of the processing within the plant.
We as believers are also in the process of our loving Heavenly Father working in our lives. As we hear His Word we need to remain in a place of humility in which we can hear His Word and permit Him to discipline our hearts for this part of our growth process in Him. He knows exactly what Words of light and life to shine within our hearts as He works in us. He desires that we walk before Him with perfect hearts that we may glorify Him on this earth. Today I encourage you to be patient with yourself as God works in you.
God is in the process of working on our hearts for His glory, and helping us grow and mature in Him. Many times there are parts of our growth process that we may tend to just be comfortable with. It is those times that the Lord is moving us out of our comfort zones, and that may upset us. It is important that we obediently move forward in the direction He desires to take us.
If we desire to see Him work His will in us we need to cooperate with the process He chooses for us. It is equally important that we patiently wait for Him in those times that we simply do not understand. Yes there will be times that we may be tempted to throw up our hands because it seems like we are not growing, yet all the while God is at work in our hearts in ways we could ever imagine. God is good and His plans are those of precision and He well knows what He is doing. Praise the Lord today for His work in your life for He is good!
Philippians 2:13 (ERV)
“Yes, it is God who is working in you.
He helps you want to do what pleases him,
and he gives you the power to do it.”