Luke 1:50-51,53 – And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. (ESV)

From years of water leakage, the floor of my upstairs ensuite bathroom was rotten under the shower. I removed the ceiling, walls, and floor, and the room became an empty shell with a toilet. I have now insulated the ceiling, replaced the walls, installed a new water-resistant chipboard floor with linoleum, and put in a bath, sink, radiator, extractor fan, and tiles.

Because of the cost, the only way for this job to be done was to do it myself. By God's leading, I have acquired the tools, gifts, experience, and help to be God's hands in this endeavour as a service to God and my wife.

God wants me doing this because I had this confirmed to me in a sign: an unusually large one-sided rainbow. It provoked a memory of a poster from the 1980s that said, "God keeps His promises" — which He does! He has truly given me the ability and tenacity to do it, now that it is done. Jesus was a carpenter, and I sense that I had a little prompting from Him to guide my hand in how to manage the project and to find all that I needed at the right price!

Given that for me this was a God-given chore, I was not surprised to have some opposition, as when my back complained during the first week. I could hardly move without spasms to the small of my back. As an older man, I should have been more careful about when to stop and rest. After seeking prayer from the Bible study group on that Saturday, I was able to get back to work on Monday. Praise God for His healing mercy and encouragement to keep on with the task!

Later, as I filled a rubbish bag with the old materials, I was aware of His prompt. Just like all the crud that I had just put into those rubbish bags, Jesus has removed and continues to remove all the rotten stuff that is not beneficial for future kingdom life. Life is messy, so we need refurbishment!

As we follow Jesus according to His will in obedience, He in turn will come in, clean, and refit. He wants to provide strength for the day, or provide helping hands at the right time as support. We are not alone in the kingdom.

Like Mary's declaration in today's passage, we have to trust that our help comes from God, even when life's circumstances seem overwhelming.

Prayer: Lord, we give You thanks for Your presence in and through us to perform Your purposes, even through trials and the temptation to give in. You are always alongside us in what we do because You first called us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.