By Michele Laccabue
Have you ever noticed how a particular Bible verse will come to you repeatedly over a short period of time? And after about the third time, it stops you in your tracks and you wonder if God is trying to tell you something? I believe God is saying, “Finally, I got your attention!”
I am thankful for God’s persistence in speaking truth and waiting on me to get THE message.
Over the last month, Ephesians 2:10 has landed before my eyes numerous times. It’s a verse I’m familiar with as I have read it many times over the years, but, for some reason, God has brought it into the spotlight this November 2014.
As written in the NIV Bible,
“For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”There is so much packed into this one sentence. At first, I focused on the later part of the verse-- doing good works as God created me to do-- because I was preparing a teaching on Spiritual gifts for Beautiful at GFC Waters campus. Then, just a few days later, Pastor Craig began his Sunday message with the same verse as he spoke on discovering our callings. It seemed God was affirming our “teaching of the week" and confirming Christ’s call on my life.
But…Ephesians 2:10 kept showing up in various formats for days to come. “Ok, God, you have my attention. Is there a truth I am missing?”
I turned my attention to the first part of the verse, “For we are God’s handiwork”. When I changed the pronoun, it became more personal, as it now said, “For
I am God’s handiwork”. The word
handiwork made me think of my grandmother’s knitting and how she created beautiful things with her hands. She poured her love into each piece and gave each stitch special attention. The final product was always unique and beautiful.
To further comprehend the word
handiwork, from God’s perspective, I read several other Bible translations:
“I am His workmanship”
“I am God’s accomplishment”
“I am God’s making”
“I am His creation”
“I am God’s masterpiece”
It was a fresh reminder that I am a masterpiece made by God. I am a work of art that He knitted together before I was born. I was made with purpose to His specifications. I was created to love this world using the gifts He gave me. I am a daughter of the King. I am enough! And, I will not allow the world to tell me differently.
Thankfully, these truths are not just for me.
Thankfully, God’s handiwork is in all of us.
Thankfully, we are all His special creations.
Thankfully, He lovingly stitches all of our lives together to complete the tapestry of His church.
Thankfully, God is persistent in speaking truth and patient in waiting for us to truly believe it so we can live it out from this day forward.
What TRUTH is God speaking to you today?
Michele Laccabue is excited to be the Coordinator of Beautiful for Grace Family Church’s Waters campus. She married her college (go Bulls!) sweetheart 24 years ago and is most honored with the title of “Mom” to their two teenage boys. Michele enjoys teaching science to homeschool students, lounging on the beach with a good book, and “fighting like a girl” in her kickboxing classes.