Lord, the excellence of your plans for us far exceeds our ability to comprehend at times. But your faithfulness and your good intentions toward us can never be questioned if we know the truth of your heart toward us. You have not hidden the love in your heart for us, but declared it in your word. You've shown it to us in the creation around us and in the continued maintenance of the delicate balance of all that exists in the universe to sustain our mortal lives.
If we recognize that our current existence is only a temporal opportunity to gain the refining work of your hand in preparation for the eternal life you have promised, then we begin to see things with different eyes. Your eyes Lord. The plans we make for this life are based in a perishable existence. But your plans are always as eternal as you are. You created us in your eternal image, but the bodies you gave for this moment of refinement are mortal and limited. The perspective of our flesh is as limited as these bodies, but the perspective of your spirit, the image in which you created us, is eternal.
From the moment we sincerely accept the truth of your plan and begin to live according to the word you have spoken, our lives become eternal as you intended and securely invested in your plan. This moment of existence in mortal flesh begins to pale in importance compared to the eternal path you have planned for us. When we can begin to see the fullness of your excellent plan and commit to it, we begin to accept the refinement of our eternal spirits joyfully. The investment in our spirits begins to mirror more clearly the awesome and beautiful image we were created to reflect. Your powerful, pure and holy image.
We may cry out in pain when our mortal goals and plans, vested in this world are ruined or tried by challenge. But if our focus is on your plan, then we realize that in reality, they have no eternal worth against the enduring plan you are working out in us. In truth, what we count as painful with mortal vision is most often your refining work to remove blemishes from the mirrors of our lives to more clearly reflect the image we were created to eternally reveal. Everything we could value in this world, even that which men might hold most precious, is as worthless and destined to perish as the earth you have determined to destroy. So our investment in it is also worthless. But all that you have declared to be of value will endure forever and our investment in these things is held secure by you for the life ahead beyond this life in the flesh. If our investments are in this perishable life, then we will enter the permanence of eternity bankrupt as this world perishes. The image we reflect will not be that of our pure and eternal creator, but of the power in this world that was given as part of your plan to try us in refinement - an image you are repulsed by and one that you detest.
As we determine to follow your unchanging plan, our commitment must be shown in our effort to be refined by your hand to conform to your image and reflect your heart in all things. Our conversion from creatures driven to invest in our flesh to become eternal spirits vested in the future you have planned makes it incumbent on us to follow the words of our brother, the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4 (NLT): "throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness - righteous, holy, and true".
Refine us Lord. Renew our minds to both see and embrace your perfect plans. Remove from us the mortal perspective that would lead to our failure and be our strength against the perishable view of our flesh. Give us eyes to see what you see, ears to hear what you hear and a heart that is moved by the things that move your own. Oh Lord God, refine us to your image. In your mercy and grace, let it be so.
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