Monday
Jul072008
God is the Potter, We are the Clay
Monday, July 7, 2008
I pray you all enjoyed a great 4th of July weekend and had some time for a little R&R. I guess I always think of the 4th of July as being the mid-point of summer.....and where has the first half gone? Well, I know one thing for certain and that is we have some great gatherings to look forward to in the next two weeks. This Sunday, July 13th, marks our outdoor service at the Lions Park in St. Croix Falls, with a potluck to follow. So, be certain you have friends and/or family in mind to invite. What an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, worship, and have great food and fellowship! Looking ahead, Saturday, July 19th, marks the big Wannigan Days parade in St. Croix Falls. Twyla was instrumental in arranging a space in the parade (it starts at 6PM) for CenterPoint and plans are being finalized for our participation. So, be looking for more information regarding the parade and put the date & time on your calendars. We need all of you!
Looking back to last week and thinking more about prayer and establishing God's Agenda for our lives individually and corporately, I couldn't help but go down that path a little further and think about how God shapes our lives to accomplish His agenda. Paraphrasing from Jeremiah, I was looking at Jeremiah 18:6 in relation to CenterPoint......."O CenterPoint Church, can I not do with you as a potter, says the Lord. Look, so as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O CenterPoint Church". We know that only God brings salvation to our family, friends, community, and the world. Accordingly, He looks for those who will allow Him to shape them into the instruments He will require to carry out His work. Obviously, clay has no plans of its own. It is moldable, pliable and really totally submissive to the will of the person performing the shaping. I think it is often tempting for us (me) to announce to God that I have discovered my strength and gifts and so I know how I can best serve the Lord. I know I am also capable of explaining to the Lord my weaknesses and announcing which tasks I am certainly not capable of performing. However, if you really think about it, this is not characteristic of clay. God is not limited to working with our strengths. He can mold us into whatever instruments He desires and can use effectively. When God has an assignment that requires humility, He will find a servant willing to be humbled. When there is a task requiring zeal, He will look for someone to fill with His Spirit. God uses holy vessels, and so He looks for and finds those who will submit and allow Him to remove their impurities. Being clay certainly isn't a noble task, is it? These changes certainly aren't glamorous, there is nothing to boast about........except just think about it.......it is exactly what Almighty God is looking for: compliant, moldable and yielding people.
Looking back to last week and thinking more about prayer and establishing God's Agenda for our lives individually and corporately, I couldn't help but go down that path a little further and think about how God shapes our lives to accomplish His agenda. Paraphrasing from Jeremiah, I was looking at Jeremiah 18:6 in relation to CenterPoint......."O CenterPoint Church, can I not do with you as a potter, says the Lord. Look, so as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O CenterPoint Church". We know that only God brings salvation to our family, friends, community, and the world. Accordingly, He looks for those who will allow Him to shape them into the instruments He will require to carry out His work. Obviously, clay has no plans of its own. It is moldable, pliable and really totally submissive to the will of the person performing the shaping. I think it is often tempting for us (me) to announce to God that I have discovered my strength and gifts and so I know how I can best serve the Lord. I know I am also capable of explaining to the Lord my weaknesses and announcing which tasks I am certainly not capable of performing. However, if you really think about it, this is not characteristic of clay. God is not limited to working with our strengths. He can mold us into whatever instruments He desires and can use effectively. When God has an assignment that requires humility, He will find a servant willing to be humbled. When there is a task requiring zeal, He will look for someone to fill with His Spirit. God uses holy vessels, and so He looks for and finds those who will submit and allow Him to remove their impurities. Being clay certainly isn't a noble task, is it? These changes certainly aren't glamorous, there is nothing to boast about........except just think about it.......it is exactly what Almighty God is looking for: compliant, moldable and yielding people. I admit I have a tendency to tell the Lord what I can and cannot do for Him, based on what I see are and aren't my capabilities. My prayer is to become a lump of clay, submitting to the Father's Agenda and allowing Him to shape and mold me into the person/servant He wants me to be. Once again, seeking God's Agenda. Just imagine what the Lord could do through CenterPoint Church with a body of clay, submissive to molding and shaping for His Glory!
"We are the clay and you are the potter,
and all of us are the work of your hand"
Isaiah 64:8
In Him, Sandy
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