Over the past few weeks, the same song has presented itself to me in different forms. It plays over and over in my head, “This is my desire: to be used by You. All my life I have seen where You’ve taken me. Beyond all I have hoped and there’s more left unseen. There’s not much I can do to repay all You’ve done so I give my hands to use. This is my desire, this is my return.” Jeremy Camp hit it dead center with this one.
I want to be used.
Lately I’ve felt used in a different way, not used the way that Adam was – with productive, meaningful work. That’s my desire. I want meaning in what I do. That is my return.
It doesn’t get much more meaningful than this:
I’ve forgotten that Christ IS using me. In many ways really. And I forget that. But I’ve got to remember this one: “And I know my life, it’s to do Your will”
And this is part of His will:
Gen 1:28 “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth..”
Ps 127:3-5 “Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.”
Ps 128 “Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. May the LORD bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem, and may you live to see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel.”
Johanna (Joey) Lee Brammer was born at Siloam Hospital in Lippo Cikarang, Indonesia. She was delivered by the same doctor, Dr. Agnes, that delivered her older brother Silas twenty months before. She was so determined to join this world, to serve the Lord, that she was a full half-body, head and all, out before the doc got to the room. Though Jess labored for eight hard hours, she pushed one, two and three and she was there. Seven minutes flat.
She’s a little smaller than her brothers, weighing 7 lbs. 1 oz. and 20.5 inches long but she is a fighter. She’s been shadow boxing in utero for months and now she is fighting a bacterial blood infection within her first hours. But the Lord is her shepherd too. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Those were the words, repeated again and again that gave Jess the strength as she needed it.
And He is our shepherd. He leads us beside still waters. He restores our soul. I can feel my soul restored. I am reminded of the meaningful work He has given me:
Pr 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
It doesn’t get better than this… and I’ve got to remember that… cause THIS is pretty amazing really.
To God be the glory.
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