Earthen Vessels

(Based on a thought from John Fischer's @ PurposeDrivenLife.com).


"If everything is coming your way, you're probably in the wrong lane."

Actually, having everything coming at you may not necessarily mean you're in the wrong lane when it comes to personal growth. I would go as far as to suggest that everything going your way is probably a condition to be much less trusted than feeling like you're driving into oncoming traffic.

I don't see God as merely doling out ease and contentment--His long-term interest lies more in the areas of refining and shaping us to conform more to the image of Christ, and none of that comes easy. Scripture indicates that the process by which this comes about includes, among other things, trials (James 1:2-3), suffering (Romans 5:3-4), discipline (Hebrews 12:7), and a growing sense of our own mortality (2 Corinthians 5:4-5). In one illustration, Paul uses the metaphor of an earthen vessel to explain our human condition and how God uses us (2 Corinthians 4:7).

To think about an earthen vessel (a piece of pottery) is to get an accurate picture of what we can expect in this life. A pot begins as a lump of clay that is kneaded and slammed until all the air is pressed out of it and the lump is the right consistency to form into something useful. Then it is placed on a potter's wheel where the potter molds and shapes it, spinning it in his wet hands, until its sides are stretched out and up into a shape that can hold something. But wait, there's more.

Then it is set on a shelf and allowed to dry before the real fun part begins -- the firing -- after which it is glazed and then fired again. Finally it is ready to be used, and that usually includes some pretty rough treatment -- a seemingly endless pattern of getting dirty and being cleaned only to get dirty again. Over time it ages and cracks with use, but according to Paul's illustration, this only lets out more of what it contains, which is described as the light of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6) -- for we are indeed this vessel. It is a process that gradually de-emphasizes us and more and more emphasizes what we contain.

Which is to say that when everything seems to be coming your way (trials, hardship, testing times) you are probably in the right lane after all. It's the society we live in that thinks we deserve to have everything go our way. God never guaranteed anything of the kind, at least in this life. But He did say He would be with us, always.

Brings to mind the little song...

Change my heart, oh God, make it ever true;
change my heart, oh God, may I be like you.
You are the potter, I am the clay,
mold me and remake me, this is what I pray.
Change my heart, oh God, make it ever true;
change my heart, oh God, may I be like you.



You've been prayed for today...

Breathe

Hey, Y'all,

Today's short-and-sweet-RST is taken from one of PurposeDrivenLife.com's daily thoughts and consists of a cool quote from the song, Breathe (by John Mallory, Michelle Tumes and Leigh Nash, performed by Six Pence None the Richer)--so here's a bit o' poetry for ya...and happy Sabbath, BTW...


Take my sorrow and my sin
I will run into your arms again...
--Hold me, Father
Once again my tears are dried
By your perfect love that's river-wide...
--Overflowing
As I stand by its bank with my arms overhead I am overcome
As I breathe
The air of heaven, drawing in your fragrance
When I breathe I feel your fullness come alive inside of me
--You're the breath that I breathe.



You've been prayed for today...

Simplify Again

Today's RST (from purposedrivenlife.com's John Fischer) ties in with previous RSTs and reminds me of the Max Lucado quote we discussed earlier--that we must simplify our spiritual seeking if we are to understand His Way of seeing and doing things:


"Religion is a system.
Spirituality is a state of being, made possible by a relationship.
Religion is trying to please God.
Spirituality is enjoying God.
Religion is Martha fussing in the kitchen.
Spirituality is Mary listening at the feet of Jesus.
Religion pointlessly keeps score.
Spirituality keeps the faith."



You've been prayed for today...

My Own Effort?!?

We now resume our regularly scheduled Random Spiritual Thoughts...


“Have you lost your senses?” Paul wrote to the Galatians. “After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?” Galatians 3:3

Amen to that...and it dovetails nicely with Paul's words to the church in Philippi: "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it...for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." Philippians 1:6, 2:13.

God does His part and then some--we just have to show up and partake of the blessing--but we have to show up, and that often, in order to be under the influence of the "Right Spirit"--otherwise we're under the influence of "same-old-same-old."


As always, you've been prayed for today...

Easter Epilogue-- So What Does It All Mean?

Three thoughts by way of epilogue...

1. "The tomb is empty--so now you don't have to be."
--Sign in front of a church seen this Easter (thanks Kerri!).


2. "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses...Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live!" Deuteronomy 30:19

Something about the crucifixion made every witness to it step toward it or away from it. And today, two thousand years later, the same is true. It's the watershed moment of humanity. It's the Continental Divide. And you're either on one side of it or the other. It's not that indecision is not permitted. No fence-sitting is possible. A choice is demanded. No decision, a decision for your status quo, is still a decision.

For the life blackened by failure--your life and mine--Easter means forgiveness. For the heart scarred with futility--your heart and mine--Easter means purpose. And for the soul looking into this side of the tunnel of death--your soul and mine--Easter means deliverance.

So look again, think again, one more time, carefully, prayerfully--what do you do with Easter? What do you choose?


3. "Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19:30

Words of chance muttered by a desperate martyr? No.
Words of intent, a masterpiece painted by the Divine Deliverer on the canvas of sacrifice? O, thank God--yes!

It was with those very words that God permanently embedded in the earth three anchor points sturdy enough to withstand any hurricane in your life and mine:

Anchor Point One--My life is not futile.
Anchor Point Two--My failures are not fatal.
Anchor Point Three--My death is not final.

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:19

So anchor deep, say a prayer, and hold on, hold tight, hold fast...and don't be surprised if Someone walks across water to give you a hand.

You've been prayed for today...



(Based on Max Lucado's No Wonder They Call Him The Savior, p. 21,
and Six Hours One Friday, pp. 25,26).

Final Easter Thoughts - Easter Sunday

(Based on Max Lucado's No Wonder They Call Him The Savior, p. 115)



Dark.
Spices. Linen. Tomb.
Fear. Despair. Waiting.
Light.
Stone. Mary. Running.
Maybe?
Peter. John. Belief.
Truth.
Mankind.
Alive.
Alive!
Alive!



You've been prayed for today...

Final Easter Thoughts - Sabbath

Rest.

Final Easter Thoughts -- Good Friday

(based on Max Lucado's No Wonder They Call Him The Savior, pp. 114, 115)



Crossbeam. Sign. Nails. Pound. Pound. Pound. Pierced.
Contorted. Thirst. Terrible. Grace.
Writhing. Raised. Suspended. Spasms. Heaving.
Sarcasm. Sponge. Tears. Taunts.
Forgiveness. Dice. Darkness. "Finished!"
Earthquake.
Tomb.



(You've been prayed for today)

Easter -- Final Thoughts 3

(based on Max Lucado's No Wonder They Call Him The Savior, pp. 20, 64)


Final hours. Final words. Final acts.
They reflect a life well-lived.
Have you heard the last words of our Savior?

When on the edge of death, Jesus too got His house in order:
a confession of humanity; a cry of completion.

"Jesus said, 'I am thirsty'...When He had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit."

John 19:28,30

Can you imagine that cry from the cross? There was weeping. There was mocking. There is moaning from the thieves on either side of Him. Then the sky is dark. There is thunder. There is silence. "It is finished!" What was finished? The eternity-planned covenant to redeem fallen man was fulfilled. The sting of death had been removed. It was over.

Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit."


You've been prayed for today.

Easter -- Final Thoughts 2

(based on Max Lucado's No Wonder They Call Him The Savior, p. 20)


Final hours. Final words. Final acts.
They reflect a life well-lived.
Have you heard the last words of our Savior?

When on the edge of death, Jesus too got His house in order:
an anguished question of suffering; a trusting statement of deliverance.

"Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?'" ...

"'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' With those words Jesus breathed His last."

Mark 15:34, Luke 23:46



P.S. Some of Christ's words above are actually verbatim from a Psalm of David--His blood ancestor--Psalm 22. For an amazingly moving experience, stop for a minute, find a quiet place, and read it in its entirety keeping that image in mind (below are some of the lines that jumped out at me).

My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?

I am scorned and despised by all!
Everyone who sees me mocks me.

They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
"Is this the one who relies on the LORD?
Then let the LORD save him!
If the LORD loves him so much,
let the LORD rescue him!"

My life is poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.

My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;
an evil gang closes in on me.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
My enemies stare at me and gloat.

They divide my clothes among themselves
and throw dice for my garments.

He has not ignored the suffering of the needy.
He has not turned and walked away.
He has listened to their cries for help.

His righteous acts will be told to those yet unborn.
They will hear about everything He has done.

Amen to that...You've been prayed for today.

Easter -- Final Thoughts 1

(based on Max Lucado's No Wonder They Call Him The Savior, p. 20)


Final hours. Final words. Final acts.
They reflect a life well-lived.
Have you heard the last words of our Savior?

When on the edge of death, Jesus too got His house in order:
a final prayer of forgiveness; an honest plea honored...

"Father, forgive them: they don't understand what they're doing."

"Fear not, your debt is paid as well: you will be with me in paradise."

Luke 23:34,43


You've been prayed for today...

Humanity Enfolding Divinity (Easter)

Hey, Y'all,

Here's another excellent somewhat Easterish RST from Max Lucado--kinda gets you thinkin'...

_____________________________________________________


"Think about this for a minute: when God chose to reveal himself, he did so (surprise of surprises!) through a human body. The tongue that called forth the dead was a human one. The hand that touched the leper had dirt under its nails. The feet upon which the woman wept were calloused and dusty. And his tears...oh, don't miss the tears...they came from a heart as broken as yours or mine has ever been...Those tiny drops of humanity, those round wet spheres of salty tears that tumble from our eyes, creep down our cheeks, and splash on the floor of our hearts...they are miniature messengers, on call around the clock to substitute for crippled words. They drip, drop, and pour from the corners of our souls, carrying with them the deepest emothions we possess...So Jesus wept...He wept not for the dead, but for the living. He wept not for the one in the cave of death but for those in the cave of fear. He wept for those who, though alive, were dead, for those who, though free, were prisoners, held captive by the lord of this fallen world."

"Jesus wept." John 11:35



You've been prayed for today.

"Palm Sabbath" (Easter)

Hey, Y'all,

Well, with Palm Sunday the day after tomorrow and Easter next week, here's a very interesting RST (thanks Mai for this excellent thought!) about spiritual rest and renewal and the Sabbath which preceded the very eventful last week of Christ's earthly ministry. It's taken from Max Lucado devotional "Grace for the Moment", Vol. II (Feb.4) and is entitled "A Quiet Day of Rest" (from And the Angels Were Silent)


"Remember to keep the Sabbath holy." Exodus 20:8

Ever feel the wheels of your life racing faster and faster as you speed past the people you love? Could you use a reminder on how to slow it all down?

If so, read what Jesus did during the last Sabbath of His life. Start in the Gospel of Matthew. Didn't find anything? OK. Try Mark. Read what Mark recorded about the way Jesus spent the Sabbath. Nothing there either? Strange. What about Luke? What does Luke say? Not a reference to the day? Not a word about it? Well, try John. Surely John mentions the Sabbath. He doesn't? No reference? Hmmmm. Looks like Jesus was quiet that day.

"Wait a minute. That's it?" That's it.

"You mean with one week left to live, Jesus observed the Sabbath?" As far as we can tell, yes.

"You mean with all those apostles to train and people to teach, with everything going on around Him, He took a day to rest and worship?" Apparently so.

"Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God." Exodus 20:8-10

How cool is that? I freely admit that didn't always understand the somewhat cliched phrase "the blessed Sabbath rest" but I've got to say, I most certainly do of late...why don't you give it a try? Certainly can't hurt--rest is always a good thing, and especially in the midst of our "crazy-pace" lives, huh?

You've been prayed for today...

Only God (Easter)

Another on-point thought from Max Lucado's book, God Came Near...

Even after generations of people have literally and figuratively spit in His face, He still loved, still loves, them...us. It is that very irrationality that gives the gospel--literally "the Good News"--its greatest defense: only God, only an endlessly loving, endlessly forgiving parent, could love like that.


He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering...
Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:3-5



You've been prayed for today...

Crucified On Purpose (Easter)

One last thought (for now) on Christ's mindset and purposeful actions (from Max Lucado)...

"Had Jesus been forced to nail Himself to the cross, He would have done it. For it was not the soldiers who killed Him, nor was it the screams of the mob: it was His devotion to us, to you and to me."

"I lay down my life...no one takes from me, but I lay it down of my own accord." John 10:17,18


You've been prayed for today...

More On The Carpenter's Shop (Easter)

Here's a continuation of the earlier cool Easter thought from Max Luxado...

"Make no mistake. Jesus left that carpentry shop because of you. He laid his security down with his hammer. He hung tranquility on the peg with His nail apron. He closed the window shutters on the sunshine of His youth and locked the door on comfort and ease and anonymity. Since He could bear your sins more easily than He could bear the thought of your hopelessness, He chose to leave."

"...Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27

God Came Near p. 25

You've been prayed for today...