Measure Twice

I just moved in to a little one bedroom house.

I found myself imagining the great furniture I'd buy to make it working, useful, and comfortable place to spend my time. I looked online, and walked through furniture sections of various stores and office furniture suppliers.

In my head a table would go here, and shelf would go there, a table would be useful here. And I wanted a wing back chair to sit in and read (like the ones you see in a library). But walking through the furniture section of various stores, I was inundated with choices, colors, styles. Many useful, many quite good looking.

So my first purchase was a tape measure.

I needed to measure the wall and the height agains which the table would fit, and the space to the window and how much did the stairs protrude into the living room. And even before picking my furniture a checking had to happen, similar to an the wise carpenter's adage: Measure Twice, Cut Once. I measured each space to make sure the right furniture was chosen, that all would fit together.

This made me think of THE work going on right now. In the heavenly Sanctuary.

The thoughtfulness and consideration I had put into my humble dwelling made me wonder about God's thoughtfulness and care in fashioning a place, not only for Himself to dwell, but also that He was fashioning something for His Son, Whom He cares for deeply.

The deliberateness of measuring each space and then measuring each furniture, piecing them together made me think of the command given in Revelation to measure the city (Rev 11:1). This intentional work of judging, of measuring the people, was to make sure they fit. Because He needs a fit people for the finishing of the work. For the High Priest was to take the transgressions of the people in all their sins and put "them upon the head of the [scape] goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:" (Lev 16:21)

Making sure the people measured up. That they were meet (suitable, fit, proper) for His Son. That they were the helpmeet for Christ. (Eph 5:27). That His church would be a suitable, proper and fit bride for the Son. And a suitable and fit dwelling for the Sovereign of the Universe, the Majesty and Source of all that is Good, Righteous and Pure.

All I had to was measure and find the furniture. I didn't have to trim, cut or lengthen.

Christ's work is more difficult. He's preparing a people. A people that fit. And He is measuring every part.

So the question comes: Will you let God do His loving work, the work of measuring every part to make you fit? That you can be fitted to the body of Christ?

"From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." - Ephesians 4:16

Object Lessons on a Laceration

On Sabbath morning, I slipped crawling out of bed (it's a longer story than this).

It only hurt initially, but as I look on the scar every day, watching it get better, I thought of a few object lessons...

1) Examine the wound - Take a look at what was hurt, cut, or broken. This requires an honest assessment. If there are multiple layers, you have to at the least, admit it.
Sometimes this is the most difficult, because the wound still hurts while the examination is occurring. But it is the most necessary first step. God requires this, we should, too. Jer 3:13, 2 Cor 13:5

2) Clean the wound - Remove anything, such as debris, that will prevent healing. Is there extra blood, dirt, or chunks of tissue? These have to be cleaned out. Sometimes you have to remove things out of your life that just keep you from healing. Eph 4:31

3) Approximate the skin - in other words, bring the separated portions of skin back together as close as you can. This is difficult, despite the puzzle piece shapes of my wound, but care in this point of the process will speed the healing and maintain the appearance more than any other reconstruction afterwards. To restore as close to the original is a difficult but terribly necessary part of healing, especially prior to throwing the first stitch or placing the bandage. Often you have to do your best to reconcile things that have been separated, even before you lay down that thing that will keep things together. 2 Cor 5: 19

4) Apply structured and consistent restraint - Two characteristics: they have to be somewhat maintain restraints, such as a stitch or a bandage. For healing, a consistent structured restraint has to be there to provide support while the body heals itself. These two qualities must be there for any other kind of healing as well. With out consistency, the body will not be able to lay down the proteins appropriately to close the wound. Without traction (restraint), the would will be too open for scar tissue to form rapidly enough. You just can't heal without consistent structure and restraint. 2 Peter 3:11

5) Duration - I'm giving it about 7 to 10 days. That's about how long we keep stitches on. Exodus 7:25, Jeremiah 42:7, Ezra 10:13

It's Biblical, look at the way God healed the human race...

Oh, and by the way, I'm fine, I'm thinking straight, the wound is painless (now).

I'll let you know how it goes ...