MBM Devotional for May 15th 2012

You are His letter, the display of His splendour

Last week Marilyn and I took part in the Christian Resources Exhibition in Esher, Surrey. We arrived last Tuesday to set up our little stand to find that most people had already set theirs up the night before.  I looked at the space we'd been allocated - it was just a small, blank display board with a wonky shelf! As I glanced around me all the other stands looked very professional and pretty and I thought, ours is just a blank and it will never match up to those others.

I then started to attach our pictures, flyers describing what MBM does, details of our upcoming events and testimonies.  As I did so the blank wall became pretty and inviting.  It was reflecting what we are and was no longer just a blank wall. 

As I looked at it I sensed the Lord speaking to me, saying that just as the wall had appeared blank and nothing compared to the other stands, so there were many people who looked on themselves as being nothing, having no gifts or beauty, feeling inferior to all around them.  But just as I had stood before that blank wall and transformed it by putting up our pictures and words describing what we are, so He stands before each one of us, seeing us not as a blank wall but as someone that He delights in and has chosen to display His glory.  He said 'Beloved stop looking at yourself as nothing, stop comparing yourself with others.  I love you.  I have chosen you and painted my glory into your life in a way that is unique to who you are.      Give to me that sense of being nothing and allow me to bring alive all the beauty and gifts I have written into your life, just as that display stand is now welcoming and interesting to all who see it so when people see you they will see me and be drawn to find my love.'

Dear Father, thank you for your encouragement and love.  I am amazed that you have chosen me to reflect your beauty but thank you so much that you have.  please forgive me for seeing myself as nothing.  thank you that you are constantly transforming me into your likeness just as that blank board was transformed with love and care into something beautiful and interesting. I worship and thank you for the beautiful works you are doing in me. In Jesus name, Amen.