the pen, the bookmark and the strong finger

was doing my devotion again and i practice the habit of underlining certain verses which impacts me or which i feel i can relate to in my current life. so as i was reading 1Timothy 1, i came across to verses 3-4..


As i urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work-which is by faith

1 Timothy 1:3-5 (NIV)


so as i said, i underlined verse 4b and when it came to the part which says "which is by faith", my pen didn't "lean" on my bookmark and it slipped and there was a small mark which cut some words.

So i was thinking and praying that God would reveal to me something. Then i realized that pens and bookmarks should rely on each other so that they can get a job well done. Without the pen there is no ink, without the bookmark there isn't any support and the pen won't be able to draw a straight line. So, not all of us are pens, not all of us are bookmarks. We are ONE body with many parts working for ONE head.

So where does the finger come in? Just imagine if theres a pen and a bookmark, but there isn't anything pressing on the bookmark. I'm sure you'll know what would happen if you try to draw a line like that. Well, the finger represents God, the source of our strength. We have to constantly have faith in God to do His work which is why it is said "God's work - which is by faith". If you don't have faith in God, how is He going to work through you?

I read this in Max Lucado's 'A Gentle Thunder'
- Identify the problem (You'll half-solve it)
- Present it to Jesus (He's happy to help)
- Do what he says (No matter how crazy)

And remember that all of us are instruments of God and for God. When something great is done, give all glory back to God. Remember, when someone writes a masterpiece, nobody gives applause to a pen or a bookmark. It is God that deserves all glory =)