Are you someone who enjoys restoring things; taking what is dull and broken and returning it to its original shine and luster? In helping your parents clean out their shed, you come across your childhood red wagon buried in the back of their shed, under a pile of old tools and junk, with its once fire engine red paint no longer shiny. You decide to take it home and sand off the rust, prime and paint it bright red, oil the wheels, and voila, it is just like new. You proudly pull your kids in it, just as your parents once pulled you.

There is joy and satisfaction in restoring that which is broken back to its original beauty and functionality. We have a God who is interested in redeeming and restoring his children, every man, woman, and child who has ever lived. God is a repairer at heart. God does not just want to return us to our original condition (innocent like Adam and Eve before the whole forbidden fruit thing), He wants us to be better than we were when we began. In Haggai 2:9, God promises the Israelites that when they return out of captivity the glory of the new Temple would be greater than that of the old one. Here is what we read – “’The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

God can make up for all that has been lost or neglected, abused or destroyed – “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust have eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, the cutter, my great army which I sent among you.” (Joel 2:25)

God is a Master Craftsman and the world is His restoration project. And hear this, God also wants to use you to help Him restore those around you; yes, each one of us is called to participate. Here is a promise to Israel in its post-exilic state, and one made to us today, found in Isaiah 58:12 – “Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will restore the foundations laid long ago; you will be called the repairer of broken walls, the restorer of streets where people live” (HCSB).

So, today, even if you feel worn out and rusty, no matter the condition of your body, heart, and soul, you can have assurance that God can, and deeply desires to, redeem and restore you and those around you, your friends and your enemies! Not just better, better than before!

When you think of the word masterpiece, what comes to mind? Is it Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” or “Mona Lisa’? How about Michelangelo’s fresco painting, “The Creation of Adam” that makes up part of the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel? Or maybe “Starry Night” (van Gogh) or “The Scream” (Munch).

If you are not into art, do you think of “Venus de Milo,” one of the most famous Greek sculptures that dates back over 2100 years? In classical music, Handel’s “Messiah” along with many pieces by composers such as Beethoven, Vivaldi, Bach, and Mozart are considered to be masterpieces. In literature, I think of Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey or Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville or Poe’s poem “The Raven.” Architectural masterpieces include the Taj Mahal, Sydney (Australia) Opera House, Rome’s Colosseum, St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, and Grand Palace in Bangkok. The list could go on and on, there is no shortage of magnificence for us to enjoy. 

While everything I just mentioned are all well known, for something to be a masterpiece it doesn’t need worldwide or historical familiarity. A masterpiece is nothing more than an outstanding work of artistry, craftmanship or skill that is given much critical praise, usually considered someone’s greatest work or achievement, their magnum opus. You and I have created masterpieces of our own. Pause for a minute and think of what you’ve done or created that might be considered your greatest accomplishment. If you can’t think of anything, think some more!

Everything God created is good, from the vastness of the galaxies, to the grandeur of the oceans, all the way down to the tiniest little annoying bug. But you and I, every one of us, we are God’s greatest creation. We are made in His image (read Gen 1:27), which by itself makes us His masterpiece. Your beauty, your value, does not depend upon what you have done or not done, said or not said, what you’ve done for others, or even what has been done to you. Your beauty comes because of who created you and nothing can ever change that! The world, or even your own voice, might tell you otherwise, but just know that you are God’s greatest work or art, His highest masterpiece, and with you He is well pleased. In Ephesians 2:10, we read these words – “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (NLT).

[The Greek work used here for masterpiece is poiema, from which we get the word poem. You and I, we are God’s poem, His work or art, His magnum opus. We are created by God. We are an expression of His inner being.]

So, today, despite how you might feel, or what someone tells you, just know, and believe, that in God’s eyes you are stunning, you are magnificent, you are His masterpiece. Right now, will you thank God for creating you in His image and ask Him to help you see yourself, and live and breathe, in a way that reflects that masterful beauty to the world around you.   

One of my favorite things to do as a young child was help my grandma make apple cider. We would go out into her orchard and fill a wooden basket with apples. After we washed the apples in a sink in the basement, we would head upstairs to the kitchen where a wooden old-fashioned apple press awaited us. Grandma let me help her fill the round hopper with apples. I then watched with wide open eyes as she turned the crank, causing the pressing disk to slowly crush the apples, squeezing the juice into the tub below. Grandma always let me have a few turns of the crank, but it was hard work for a little boy, so she, with a smile and a pat on my behind, always told me I did a good job. This went on for what seemed like hours, but time seemed to stand still as I helped Grandma make apple cider. Once all the juice was squeezed from the apples, and after we cleaned up the cider press, the best part was yet to come – Grandma poured me a glass of cider as I sat on her lap. To this day, I do not know which I liked better, sitting in her lap or tasting the cider.

The apples got put under tremendous pressure, pressed and squeezed, turning their once roundness and red color into a pile of pulpy residue, called pomace. But as a result of the pressure exerted upon the apples, delicious juice was extracted. From a little boy’s point of view, what was left in the hopper sure didn’t look like apples anymore. But this pomace, it did not go to waste. We fed it to the hogs. And in today’s commercial apple juice processing, pomace is the major by-product, a good source of antioxidants and dietary fiber. And for your sweet tooth, apple pomace powder is used in the production of toffee.  

How often do you feel like one of those apples? You know, those moments when life is pressing in on you and you wonder if the pressure is more than you can endure. You cry out to God, begging, pleading, maybe even deal-making. You sense hopelessness and despair.

In the fourth chapter of Second Corinthians, the apostle Paul bares his soul regarding his struggles, his pain of being pressed and squeezed, But, in the midst of despair, Paul finds strength in Jesus. In vv. 8-9 we read these hopeful words – “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Those words are hopeful because in your pain Jesus reveals Himself to you. Those words are hopeful because through your pain Jesus is refining you. Those words are hopeful because out of your pain Jesus can bring sweetness.   

Those words are hopeful, because in, through, and out of, your pain, you are being made more like Jesus. Here’s what we find in James 1:2-4 – “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way” (MSG).

So, no matter how pressed in, pressed on, pressed under you feel, know that God is using your circumstances to make something beautiful, something majestic, something delicious, in you, like the sweet taste of my Grandma’s freshly squeezed apple cider.  

Do you have life under control? You have a well laid out financial plan, your marriage is rock solid, you just got a promotion at work, your kids are well behaved, you work out at the gym several times each week, life is good Nothing major has sidetracked you or your family in a very long time. You look through the binoculars and it is nothing but clear sailing, all thanks to you having life under control. But wait a minute! 

There is nothing wrong with trying to wisely manage life and avoid doing and saying things that will cause you to stumble and fall. In fact, that is a very prudent thing to do. It is also wisdom to have safety nets for when things do go wrong – cars break down, kids get sick, roofs leak, job layoffs occur, cancer happens. While it might look as if you have life under control, let’s be honest, life is not really all that controllable. Even the best planned out, and lived out, life, is not exempt from death, sickness, divorce, betrayal, financial difficulties, stock market volatility, or even the potential of a global pandemic.

The Book of Proverbs is a roadmap to navigating life with wisdom, not just any kind of off the shelf wisdom, but rather through God’s wisdom. It regularly contrasts the wise and the foolish. Solomon, the writer of Proverbs, who according to Scripture is the wisest man to ever live (1 Kings 3:11-15), says this in Proverbs 12:15 – “A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.” Elsewhere in that same Book, in vv.1:22-23, we are told that that the promise of God’s wisdom comes to those who seek it, but first it requires giving up the world’s mockery of real and lasting truth.

God’s wisdom comes to us through the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 we find this – “However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ – the things God has prepared for those who love him – these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”

I started by asking you a question. Let me end by asking that same question with a slightly different twist – Do you have life under your control or is it under God’s control. Life lived under your control leads to a never-ending back and forth between “in control” and “out of control” whereas under God’s control, while life might still be rocky, and bad stuff still happens, gives you wisdom more precious than gold and silver (Proverbs 3:13-15, 16:16) and helps to weave a peaceful path through life (Proverbs 3:17).

You and some college friends have taken a trip to the West Coast and find yourselves in awe of the beauty of the snow-capped mountains. The group is feeling a little spontaneous so for a little excitement you decide to hike up one of those mountains. Living by the adage “go big or go home” you decide to hike up Mount Whitney, the tallest summit in the contiguous United States. This mountain peak is part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and is located in the Sequoia National Park in California with an elevation of 14,505 feet. As tall as this mountain is, it is only the 12^th highest peak in the United States. There are 11 higher mountain peaks located just in the State of Alaska; Denali with a summit elevation of 20,310 being the highest.

After much research you determine that the best way to get to the top is by using the Mount Whitney Trail. Thankfully you can drive your car more than half the elevation to the trailhead, located at Whitney Portal. It is here you stock up on food, water, and other necessities, putting them into bear-proof canisters. And before heading up the mountain, you grab a bite to eat at the restaurant. The trailhead begins at an elevation of almost 8,400 feet elevation and almost immediately you begin to experience what is called high-altitude periodic breathing.

[Did you know that air contains 21% oxygen at all altitudes but lower air pressure makes it feel like a lower percentage of oxygen, thus breathing becomes more difficult at higher elevations.]

Even with a guide, you estimate it will take at least ten hours up to hike up the 11-mile trail. Just imagine yourself hiking up and down this trail. Your body aches, your mouth is dry, breathing is labored, possibly you have a headache or feel nauseous. It is likely your body is screaming at you, and once your mind and body hit that proverbial “brick wall,” you begin to wonder if the trail ahead is just too difficult to finish the climb.

Okay, so not many of us have the desire to hike up a mountain. But we do find ourselves in real life situations that are often just as challenging as hiking up the side of a mountain. When you think the road ahead is too steep and too difficult to climb, and you are worn down and seemingly out of options, you can trust God to lead you and guide you. These next words are part of a prayer that the prophet Jeremiah prayed when he had doubts and fears when facing a difficult decision. In Jeremiah 32:17 we read these reassuring words – “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth (see Gen 2:1) by your great power and outstretched arm (see Jer 27:5). Nothing is too hard for you (see Gen 18:14).”

So no matter how difficult the decision is you that you face, or how steep and rugged the trail ahead looks, you can rest assured that God is with you. He promises to carry your burdens (Ps 68:19) by taking that heavy backpack off your back and He promises to give you rest (Mt 11:28-30) like the water stations that are on the trail up the mountain.

Wise people do not hike up a mountain without a guide to assist them and you should not hike through life without a Guide either! Where do you turn for guidance?         

Our communication is filled with ambiguous sentences; sentences that are open to more than one interpretation or not having one obvious meaning. For instance, you might say, “Look at the dog with one eye.” Did you mean that the dog only has one eye or that the viewer should close one eye then look at the dog? Or how about, “I saw a girl with a telescope.” Did you see a girl carrying a telescope or did you look through your telescope and see a girl?

Words can also be ambiguous. Context often helps to clarify the meaning of the ambiguous word but without proper context, the statement could be confusing (or alarming). The word “bank” can mean a building or the edge or a river. So, if I said “I am going to take my pants off by the bank,” unless you knew I was planning to go swimming in the river, you might be ready to call the police and report me for public indecency.

“Good” is another example of an ambiguous word. It means different things to different people. A good meal to one person means it was healthy, whereas to someone else it simply meant they enjoyed the meal. A good day at work is another example; what does that mean?

There are a number of difference meanings of the word “good” found in the Bible. In Romans 8:28 we read – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Here we see the idea that God takes the whole of our lives and uses it all to help bring us into conformity with His Son Jesus Christ. In the creation story found in the first chapter of Genesis, whenever God created, the text follows with these words – “And God saw it was good.” He was creating everything with us in mind, so in this usage, good means that it was beneficial for mankind.

God not only creates good and works good, He also requires His followers to be good. While “good” has numerous meanings both in society and throughout the pages of scripture, it is very clear what God calls us to be. In Micah 6:6-7, the prophet is asking if God requires burnt offerings, animals, oil, or even the firstborn child as a way of making things right with God. In v.8, Micah gives a profound answer – “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” The Hebrew word used here for mercy is “hesed.”

[This Hebrew word “hesed, which while not easily definable in English, means loving-kindness. It can be between two people. It is also the never ending love that God shows toward His mankind (Lamentations 3:22-23). An amazing verse is found in Exodus 34. Not too long after God’s people sinned against Him (idolatry) by worshipping and sacrificing to a bronze calf, here is what we read in vv.6-7 – “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (hesed) and faithfulness, keeping his steadfast love (hesed) for thousands…” When is the last time you showed that kind of love to anyone, especially to someone who just stomped on your toes?]

So, what does all that mean? We must defend the oppressed (do justice), stop the oppressors with kindness (instead of judgment), and live in a conscious fellowship with God, exercising a spirit of humility before Him.

Are you immersing yourself in justice and mercy for those who have been beaten up by the world? Do you walk in humility, always seeking to do good?