We did not give ourselves life; we did not place within us the talents and abilities we have; we did not choose when and where to be born; we did not choose our family or nationality; we did not determine our intellectual ability. And, we did not willingly choose Christ; we did not choose our salvation or eternal hope. This is the work of our Sovereign Maker, the Lord God of all creation. Having reminded us of our deadness in sin, our inability to do anything, our total lost-ness because of our rejection of Christ, Paul interrupts our natural inclinations with the amazing truth of God’s intervention in giving us new life and rescuing by His grace from the bondage and condemnation due us because of sin. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2.10).
May we rejoice in this powerful truth, knowing our Lord has redeemed us through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ; knowing that we had been chosen in Christ before the world’s foundations were laid. May we be humbled that He has looked upon us in His favor and love to make us His own, giving us life with meaning and purpose to live. May we be energized to know that having saved us, He will also enable us to do those “good works” which He has designed for us to do; may we be filled with an expectation of His using us for His glory. And now, may it be our earnest desire and firm commitment to walk as He has designed for us to walk. May we be ready to confess all sin and be fully free of any hindrance to our being used by the Lord; may we ready to seize upon those occasions in this day and be willing to rely upon the working of the Holy Spirit to lead us, enable us, and use us as would be pleasing to Him. We belong to the Lord, and may we do nothing to thwart His work in and through our lives this day, but rather be fully surrendered to glorify His Gracious Name.
Being the Lord’s workmanship – we have much to be thankful for –
Terry Burlingame
My Morning Desk 