A Result of Sculpting

I recently read something very interesting about the famous Michelangelo. He had been given a large chunk of marble with the challenge to make something beautiful. This particular piece of marble had flaws in it. Other sculptors had attempted to make something but had given up because the marble was inferior. Didn’t Michelangelo realize it was substandard? Of course he did, but he believed he could do something with it. He did. He created the statue ‘David’ which has been seen and adored by millions of people over the centuries.

A smile came to me as I thought, that’s exactly what our Heavenly Father does with each of us. We present ourselves inferior to Him. We are substandard in our own efforts. We make mistake after mistake. We sometimes flounder in relationships. We can easily make bad financial decisions. We often put not one, but two feet in our mouths, speaking out of turn time and time again. We are fickle in our loyalty to God Himself; one day bowing in adoration before Him, the next choosing our own ways over His, falling off our self-made pedestal, with an almighty crash, as a result. We couldn’t blame God if, like so many sculptors in the days of Michelangelo, He discarded us because of our deficiencies, but He never does.

I often find great comfort in the the verses recorded in Job 23:10-12, “He knows where I am going. And when He tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed His ways and not turned aside. I have not departed from His commands, but have treasured His Words more than daily food.” Mankind looks at the outside appearance. (I Samuel 16:7) What is seen isn’t always very pretty, but God looks at the heart. Our Father sees our potential. He sees our desires. He knows our willingness to be made into the image of His Son. We are each one always a work in progress. We must never forget that our loving, Heavenly Father does not give up on us. Therefore, we must never give up on ourselves. Instead, with humble hearts, we come before Him each day with the the secure knowledge that we will hear Him say, “This is the way, now walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)