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 | | From: | JPF | | Subject: | A Lump of Clay | | Date: | Thu, 13 Jan 2005 01:00:45 GMT |
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 | A Lump of Clay
Jeremiah 18: 6. Like clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my
hands.
One Sunday, I watched a portion of Charles Stanley's sermon. It comes
on about the time I must leave for church. He had this big lump of clay
sitting on his pulpit and for the entire time I was watching, he kept
beating this clay with his fist, changing it into this shape and that.
Then he would gently mold the sides with his hands to shape it into
something useful. The longer he preached the more he beat and molded
and shaped and smoothed as a visual presentation of how God wants to
make us into something useful to Him. Are you ready to become clay in
the Potter's hands?
Now when God picks me up and places me on his pulpit, I immediately
began to tell Him, "You really doesn't have to this. I'm in pretty good
shape just the way I am right now. After all You have shape me in the
past and look how far I have come. Why I know so much more than I use
to, what good would it do to be formed again." Talking faster now, "I
know my weaknesses now and You know how often I rely on You for help,
and I am sure that I wouldn't make those earlier mistakes again." Over
and over again I convince myself that I know and understand my faults
and weaknesses, and I logically assume that I have discovered all of my
gifts, so now I know just how to apply them to the best of my ability.
But thank God is does not listen to my pitiful pleading, He just keeps
on beating and shaping until He I am molded into something more useful
to Him.
I get so tired of listening to Christians talk about how the church has
failed them. Their denomination won't allow them to preach, because I
don't have a degree. You know something dear friends; I am so happy
that my church allows me the privilege of cutting the grass every week.
That is what I do in my church. If God wanted me to preach, then
nothing or no one in this world that could stop me from doing what God
desired me to do, except my own pride and lack of humility.
Now I asked you, "Can a lump of clay do that on its own?" No! But if
allowed, God will just keep on beating and shaping and molding and
smoothing until He gets us just right. God is not looking for
usefulness as much as He is looking for humbleness. "The essence of a
good wine can only be found after you crush the grape."
-author unknown-
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