As a little girl, my mother owned a Singer sewing machine. Some of her favorite patterns came from the brand Simplicity. Like most sewing patterns, Simplicity patterns consisted of tissue paper printed with numerical guides and instructions. She would gently take a piece out of the small rectangle package and use straight pins to pin it to the fabric. Once she had the tissue paper in place, she would cut along the dotted lines. This left numerous geometric shapes that, to the untrained eye, would look like nothing of importance. At the end, she would take each piece of cut fabric and stitch them together to create a finished product. Each pattern she used had step-by-step instructions for cutting, stitching, and assembling clothes. Over the years, she got so good that there were things she could make without a pattern. My mother etched the steps in her memory and heart because she sewed often and spent a lot of time with her sewing machine.
As Christians, God gives us patterns to follow to help us stay in communion with Him. His ways do not come as folded tissue paper with numbers and lines for our instruction; He wraps them in grace, the promise of His presence, and the Word of God. And where the straight pins would be to hold the grace in place, we have the gift of peace and His Son, Jesus.
In today’s reading, Jesus reveals the pattern for His disciples to follow in preparation for their ministry. He took the time to encourage them by sharing that He would not leave them as orphans (John 14:18) while beautifully unveiling the call to abiding obedience for those who follow Him. Like we do at times, they struggled to understand what He was saying and how He was calling them to serve others. They were so focused on understanding Him in the natural world that it caused them to question what Jesus was sharing with them spiritually. He silenced their questions with the following words.
I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.
—John 14:27
Just as Jesus reminded His disciples that He would never abandon them, that same promise applies to us. God calls us to trust Him, and that trust grows by spending time in His presence.
As believers, we look to Jesus to understand God’s character better. And as we mature spiritually, we move from knowledge of Him to being changed by Him through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We study the patterns in His Word so that as we walk daily with Jesus, we may lean on the promises etched on our hearts from time in His presence.
During this Lenten Season, may we all bask in the gift given to us by Jesus and rejoice in the promises to come.
Hello ladies. I came late to do my devotional today– the sun is shining over here in the Pocono Mountains, PA!!! The spring has sprung. For those in the cold/snow still, hold tight. Better days ahead!!
@Molly R & @Sarah R — praying God would carry you both through these tough days. I encourage you to read @Gwineth52’s poetic post. We are linking arms in spirit and praying around you ladies. God has carried me through some dark days the past three years. I know He is the same God for me as He is for you. May you continue to come to Him and know He loves you both so dearly. I believe you will both get through this time. You will find joy and peace… be still and know He has you forever in His heart.
@JMW- God bless you in your workplace. God calls us to be the example sometimes – even to our bosses. It is not easy… But may you hold tight your convictions and continue steadfast in prayer. God bless you in your obedience and give you wisdom each moment you are in need.
@Pam C- May God bless your mother as she moves forward with this diagnosis. My grandmother passed away in her 80s last year from stage 4 cancer. It is hard when your up there in age – to know what to do. May God be near to you. Grateful you see blessings in your life despite the hardships. :)