** Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth…** Luke 3:5
Every person on the planet has his/her issues. Some of us are arrogant, some are insecure, some are moody, some are stone-faced.
One person is a compulsive eater, another starves themselves. One talks incessantly, another is a quiet church mouse.
Valleys and Hills, Crooked and Rough.
All of us are landscapes that need transformation.
Sometimes our flaws need a healthy earthquake to shake them loose and root them out.
Some just need a weekly mowing to keep them in check.
But all of us need the transforming Hand of God to smooth out the cracks and rough edges.
**For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building** 1 Corinthians 3:9
Aside from the occasional life earthquake, transformation happens little by little. A cut here, a dig there, a smoothing on one side, a straightening on the other.
The key is to work with God and not against Him. We can do that by recognizing that the disruptions in life are for our learning. They are to get our attention and look at our situation through God’s eyes. We can ask ourselves what is God teaching me right now? What do I need to adjust in myself so that I am more aligned with God’s thoughts and heart?
Do I have an attitude problem? Are my emotions in check? Am I choosing truth or am I following my own heart? Have I even talked to the Lord today? Have I asked Him to guide me, or to guide my words or reactions?
The more we cooperate with the transformation process the easier it goes. The more we fight it, the longer the storm rages.
Maybe today you are experiencing an earthquake. The Lord is really shaking up your world. Find yourself a safe place ( ie: in the Scriptures, prayer, counsel ) and take a look at the destruction from a new perspective. Ask the Lord to help you see what He sees.
If you are feeling a bit raw from the smoothing of a rough patch or two, pray for understanding and ask yourself the old familiar question…’What would Jesus do’?
Earthquakes and sandpaper have the same result, everything looks different after their work is done.
Moses’ countenance was so different from his face to face time with the Lord that others had a hard time looking at him, he was so changed. David sang through his relationship with the Lord. Daniel spent his time in prayer, seeking answers. Jeremiah hung out in wells and prisons getting to know the Lord. Paul went from disaster to disaster and loved the Lord more and more after each one.
We all have our mountains, we all have our uglies. But God is there, smoothing them all out, making us beautiful for Him.