Do you ever feel that you are failing to be all that God called you to be? Do you ever get weary of "working on" yourself in obedience to the Scriptures? You know, trying to be that Proverbs 31 woman. Ack! Yeah, me too.
Well, take heart. Here is a verse to remind us that God’s work in our lives doesn’t happen in an instant. It’s a journey. (And it’s a joint project: God reveals and we obey.) The truth is, we are not yet where we want to be, but thank God, we are not where we used to be either.
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…
(Zechariah 4:10, NLT)
We step out in faith. We read the Word and we see an area in our lives, in our hearts, that needs changed. Seeing the problem doesn’t make it go away in an instant. Some habits or feelings have been part of our makeup for years, and it will take time to break them. But as we take those small first steps, the Lord rejoices because He sees the beginning of the work.
I have my doubts that I will ever be that Proverbs 31 woman while walking this earth, but at least I’m taking baby steps in her direction. Small beginnings make the Lord rejoice.
In the grip of His grace,
Robin
I love that photo – so cute! And it illustrates your thought perfectly, for as we take those steps forward, God is holding our hands and leading. We think we have to forge ahead and become that “proverbs woman” on our own, but He is always holding on! 😉
You’re linked, because OMG, am I in that GodSpot or WHAT?!?!?!
ammmen, sister. toddle on.
Robin, I really needed that verse today. Thank you.
Absolutely needed this today. Shooting for Proverbs 31 Woman, keep hitting Romans 7 Woman instead. 🙂 I think that picture says it all.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. One step at a time. Good and succinct. Found you via Carrie.
I really appreciated this post. I have never seen that verse before. I love how it shows God as loving parent, patient and wise.
In sharing the recovery and faith journey with others, I have encouraged those who are struggling to begin a new life, to celebrate the small victories. I tell them to rejoice that there is positive momentum in the general direction they want to head. I have to remind myself of these same things often. I also have to remember that without my imperfections and failures I would be insufferably arrogant, instead of merely annoyingly arrogant.
Without my inept beginnings and ongoing stumbling, I would not see my need for His mercy, grace, and love. Without that perspective, I would have no sense of gratitude for Who He is. I would not appreciate His commitment to my transformation in the same way. Without seeing His tenacious love for me, I would not grow in my understanding of my value as one of His children, one of His creations. And, without that growing awareness of my true identity, I would not be able to see beyond my feeble attempts to start anew after yet another failure.