07/21/2025
Today, I had a project to complete in putting up a new shelf in our closet, in which I used an oak wood board that measured 127 and 7/8" in length. Getting it iN the closet was one thing...but NAILING IT was another...
Let me explain....oak wood is one of the hardest woods there is, but I chose it because I didn't want the issue I had with the original particle board to happen again..meaning the weight of the clothes on there to pull it away from the board, and the board to pull away from the wall.
Which leads me to my two pictures....on the left, those are the nails I TRIED to nail into the oak board to anchor it to the wall.Those nails were my attempts to nail the board to the wall, but because of the HARDNESS of the WOOD, it was difficult to get those finishing nails into the wood. It led to MUCH frustration and anger on my part...along with me at times repeatedly hitting my fingers with the hammer as though I don't know HOW to hammer nails.
Here comes the lesson...the Lord reminded me that those nails on the left were the times/attempts that the Lord had TRIED to nail His will into me, but like the oak board, I was hardheaded, hard hearted, and stubborn that I was unwlling to receive His counsel/instruction/correction which led to the bent nails. And as such, it led to MUCH frustration and anger on GOD's part because of my unwillingness to acquiesce to HIM and HIS will. It took all of those bent nails just to lead to the ONE time that I lined up with God's will/correction/counsel/instruction to be like the picture that's on the right.
That's how we are as a people....God has called us hard-hearted, stiff-necked and obstinate (Exodus 32:9). He has tried to time and time again to instill within us HIS will and HIS way....to follow HIS counsel and HIS instruction, and we just REFUSE to yield to Him, and He ends up with all of these bent nails. But the truth of the matter is that we really DON'T KNOW just how messed up we are....we don't realize just how broken and hurt we are and we try to hide and mask it with all of these other things; and because we've done it for so long, we really don't know HOW to change/transform....but HOW can we HIDE from HIM with which we have to do?! (Hebrews 4:13)
🎶 So don't give up on me yet...don't give up on me.....don't give up on ME...DON'T GIVE UP!! 🎶
