Identity Found in GodThe Shepherd and the Sheep ~ The Shepherd ~ The Sheep ~ The Voice of the Shepherd ~ The Art of Listening ~ The Lost Sheep ~ The Path ~ Living as His Sheep The Sheep I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— John 10:14 Sheep. Let’s explore a few descriptions of sheep that I found. See if you can relate to any of these: · Sheep don’t have top teeth (ok that was just for fun! J) · Sheep won’t lie down unless they feel safe and comfortable · Sheep are afraid of a lot of things · Sheep’s cuts and scratches were healed by olive oil that the shepherd rubbed on them · Sheep have a good memory (can remember at least 50 individual sheep and human figures) · Sheep have poor eyesight, but an excellent sense of hearing · Sheep are very social creatures · Sheep tend to follow each other, even if it’s not a good idea · Sheep rely on shepherds to guide them & to protect them from harm · Sheep are afraid of rushing water. They drown easily. · Sheep become stressed when separated from their flock · Sheep have little ability to defend themselves I have to say that I was shocked about something during my sheep study. I looked and I looked, typing a variety of phrases in the search box, but I could not find a description of sheep that I expected. Nowhere did it mention that sheep were “stupid”. What I have found is that sheep are definitely in need of guidance and direction, but they have it in them to be lead-able. They have the ability to hear well, they recognize their name and trust in the human shepherd they have grown to know. That takes some “smarts”. They may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but they know how to follow a shepherd – there’s something to be said about that characteristic. Do sheep need a shepherd? Absolutely! No doubt that a flock of sheep thrives and survives much better when a shepherd is tending to them. As I consider the sheep I saw on the rocky hillside of Israel, I would feel sad if they were making that journey without their shepherd. What a treacherous route, yet it was possible with the peace of the shepherd. My brother and sister sheep, what can we conclude about ourselves? We are referred to as sheep in many passages in the Bible. As we are compared to sheep, it often accompanies the words, “follow” and “listen”. One thing to consider is the fact that this sheep-like characteristic just might be at odds with what we find in society. Words like independent and self-sufficient do not fit in well with the nature of a sheep. As much as we are encouraged to take care of ourselves, there is a reality that we need a shepherd. I wonder if sometimes we get so drawn up in our daily tasks, and follow and listen to other voices around us, that we get distracted from following and listening to our Shepherd. As sheep, there is something to being a part of a flock. As mentioned before, sheep are social; they become stressed when they find themselves separated from the flock. Even though we may enjoy our alone time, as a big picture, don’t we do better with others surrounding us? Others who are following the same Shepherd. Being compared to a sheep brings the idea of doing life together with the Body of Christ, as Jesus leads us in and through the journey we are on. I don’t know about you, but here are some truths I see in my identity as a sheep: Are there times I find myself straying, wandering away from the flock, and even the shepherd? (head hung down) Yes. When I stray, is it more stressful? Pause. Yes. Do I rest better, put my guard down when I feel the safety and comfort my Shepherd provides? Yep! Do I recognize my shepherd and hear Him calling my name? Well…Yes, when I have spent time with Him. Do I surrender the path I think is best, stick with the flock and be led by my shepherd? Um…well…yes when I’m not splurging on too much “green grass”. We, His sheep, are not necessarily dumb. We, like sheep, are crafted to be creatures who are not 100% capable to protect ourselves from the enemy, but are created in a way that causes us to be lead-able. We can lie down and rest, or trudge through the rocky hillside, even when enemies and evil surrounds us because we fall into relationship with our Shepherd. Consider some of the questions above. Write down what you sense God is wanting you to know about being a sheep in His flock.
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The Shepherd and the Sheep ~ The Shepherd ~ The Sheep ~ The Voice of the Shepherd ~ The Art of Listening ~ The Lost Sheep ~ The Path ~ Living as His Sheep The Shepherd Psalm 23 The Lord is my Shepherd. Psalm 23. A very familiar, memorized scripture. So familiar we may be able to recite it while not even realizing what we are saying. Have you ever found yourself doing that? Singing along with the radio to a very familiar song, but actually thinking about something else, and not even know you’re singning. I have done that – many times in the car! Singing so loudly, and the words are spot on, and there comes a point when I realize I have just been singing along, but my mind was totally somewhere else. How does that even happen? The song was THAT familiar! Sometimes meaning gets lost in what becomes so familiar. Let’s try and recapture the beautiful meaning found in Psalm 23. When Jay and I were in Israel, the picture of a shepherd took a completely new form in my mind. By definition, a shepherd is someone who tends, herds, feeds and guards sheep. My first-hand present-day visualizations of a shepherd and sheep here in Ohio is a picture of a fenced in area with fresh, lush green grass where the sheep can roam around, often no shepherd is in sight. Or, for those of you who have seen the movie, Babe, there’s a certain image you can take away from there as well. But, what I saw in Israel may be a more accurate depiction of a true shepherd. The shepherds we saw were literally walking, leading and guiding a flock of sheep through rocky, rough terrain, most often along the side of a hill or mountain. This shepherd fulfills the role of tending sheep. He must be mindful of the terrain, of the best path to reach a green patch and a source of water. He is trusted and followed because He knows the way. As I was doing some reading on shepherds, I came across a description in Wikipedia that caught my attention, “Shepherds lived apart from society, being largely nomadic”. These men were focused on the task of shepherding. They had to be flexible to move around and lead their flock to various places through the changing of seasons. This picture of shepherding reflects the type of work done by shepherds such Abraham, Jacob, Moses, King David, Amos and many more. It was a common profession. Perhaps that’s the reason that God and Jesus are referred to as a Good Shepherd from Genesis all the way through Revelation. It is clear that our Shepherd carries His job of tending, herding, feeding and guarding His sheep seriously. Over and over scripture emphasizes the promise of His shepherding skills. He is qualified and capable to know when it’s time to move His sheep to green pastures. He knows where fresh water can be found. Our faithful Shepherd is enough when we graze through the rocky hillside, or when an enemy appears to be ready to pounce. He has a smile on His face when a portion of our trek is about to lead to an overflowing portion of goodness and love. Our Shepherd brings peace as He tends to His precious flock. He cares about us so much! Soak in and meditate on these familiar words. Circle, underline, and highlight the descriptions God would like you to consider as you think of Him as your Shepherd! Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Identity Found in GodThe Potter and The Clay ~ The Potter ~ The Clay ~ The Idea ~ The Plan ~ The Refining Fire ~ The Reshaped Pot ~ Living as His Clay Pot Living as His Clay Pot “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?” Romans 9:20-21 One evening I was getting ready to prepare dinner. In order to make what I had in mind, I had to wash out a pot that was used the night before to cook dinner. (Yes, I realize that this honesty risks judgement on our kitchen clean-up – or lack thereof!) The night before, the pot was used to hold ingredients I put together to make soup. This particular evening I wanted to use the pot to boil spaghetti noodles. As I was cooking the noodles some thoughts went through my mind. What if I am the pot that I just described? If my Potter wanted to use me to make soup, I trust that the shape and texture and characteristics I have are suitable to accomplish the task. So, I’m used to make soup. Chili soup. Broccoli and cheese soup. Chicken noodle soup. All kinds of soup. I got this! But one day, when I am being washed clean, (there’s a whole analogy in that too…) I realize that it’s not soup that I’m being asked to hold. Wait! What’s going on? You’re using me to make what? Spaghetti? Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Maybe we should talk about this? I’m a soup pot. I don’t know about this spaghetti stuff! I wonder if sometimes we don’t comprehend the valuable, usable vessels we are. I wonder if we put limits on what God has in mind for us to be? Living as His clay pot, His masterpiece, are we open to the possibilities of ALL the good works He has planned in advance for us to do? Or do we just get caught in a rut, a comfortable pot for soup? The challenge for us as His clay pots is to rest ourselves in His hands, continually waiting for Him to reveal the way He will use us. Maybe we are in a season when we are used for soup, but what if He introduces a new way to be used? Would you be open to giving spaghetti a try? What if God needed to use His pot for a different recipe? Can you have faith to trust Him, to take a risk and step with Him into being used as a vessel for His plans? He would not ask you to be anything He didn’t know you could be. When you feel that nudge, surrender and obey. When He plants things in your mind to consider, don’t look away. Grab a hold of His hand and enter the work with Him. He will never leave you or forsake you. Romans 9:20-21 sums this up: “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?” Another caution to consider as we explore what kind of pot we are is to not look around at other pots. How often do we see a friend or family member, or neighbor, or even a stranger and think, “Why can’t I be a pot like them? Why can’t I be used in the way they are?” Oh, the destruction jealousy can bring forth! Recall the interaction between Jesus and Peter after the resurrection. In John 21:15-19 Jesus beautifully shares an intimate time with Peter, and prepares him for the kind of life that is ahead for him. Verse 18-19 says, “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.” I’m pretty sure this caused a bit of anxiety in Peter. Peter’s response is described in verses 20-21 where he looks around and sees another disciple and quickly turns the attention away from himself and to the other guy saying to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus’ reply? Well, basically he told Peter it’s really none of his business! “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? YOU must follow me.” OUCH! You see, when we get caught up into exploring other people’s pots, we miss out on an intimate opportunity the potter wants to have with just us. Understand that God has something in mind specifically and purposefully just for you. May you recognize who your Potter is. May you, as clay, yield to His hands that mold, plan, create, refine, reshape and unveil the use of the beautiful pot He has made in you. What kind of pot are you sensing God is asking you to become? What fears or inflexibility do you need to surrender to your Potter? Identity Found in GodThe Potter and The Clay ~ The Potter ~ The Clay ~ The Idea ~ The Plan ~ The Refining Fire ~ The Reshaped Pot ~ Living as His Clay Pot The Reshaped Pot Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.” Jeremiah 18:5-6 I remember sitting in church as a little girl with the red, egg-shaped case of silly-putty. Oh the fun I had taking the lump of putty, rolling it in my hands, and shaping it into a variety of creations (all while listening to the sermon, of course!). I remember making different sized balls, and then attempting to stack them on top of each other to create a snowman. I remember the frustration if they were either the wrong size, or they kept falling over. I would take them all in my hand, roll them all together and start all over with another plan. Stretch it. Pull it. Roll it. And then there were the moments when an outside force affected my creations. Maybe a hymnal got set down on my perfectly shaped snow ball, flattening it! That didn’t stop me…not when I had a snowman to build. I could take that Silly Putty and roll it right back up! Our Potter has that kind of control. A story found in Jeremiah 18:1-12 describes the Lord’s words to Jeremiah. He told Jeremiah to head down to the local potter, a common trade in those days. Jeremiah went down and noticed the potter doing his thing at the wheel. He observed the potter and his clay pot, which was described as this, “the pot he was shaping was marred in his hands”. I can imagine, the clay that was spinning around was just not taking the shape he wanted. But instead of letting it be, or giving up out of frustration, Jeremiah witnessed him as he “formed it into another pot, shaping it as it seemed best for him”. Just sit with that for a minute. Then the Lord said to Jeremiah, “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does? Like clay in the hands of the potters, so are you in my hand.” Oh how the English teacher in me loves this comparison! God has power to reshape us. When we find ourselves flinging around on the potter’s wheel, God has the power to take us in His hands and “shape us as it seems best to Him”. As we are flattened by a threatening “hymnal” that comes down upon us, our potter has the capability to pick us back up and carry on with His plan. Unlike Silly-putty, which is a mindless substance, we have a part in this. The passage in Jeremiah talks about the responsibility of the house of Israel. God desires repentance, for us to surrender into His hands. To be willing and open to what God desires to reshape us into. Do you feel as though you, your pot has a defect or a flaw? A sin? A hurt? A scar? Are you a cracked pot? Broken? Lift up your head, surrender it all, and gaze into the loving eyes of your Potter. He can take the broken pieces into His hands and mold you back together. Your Potter’s hands are ready to reshape you into what seems best to Him. Can’t you hear His voice asking if you believe this, “Can I not do with you as the potter does?” Grab your Bible and read the whole passage of Jeremiah 18:1-12. Set your own stubborn plans and thoughts aside. :) Place yourself in His hands. Pick up all your pieces. Bring every part of your brokenness. Gather every hurt, every flaw, every wrong decision, every sinful thought, every scar that you have and plop it all into His hands. He wants to use all those things and reshape you into what seems best to Him. Write it all down and have peace in the clay pot He is about to reshape in you. Identity Found in GodThe Potter and The Clay ~ The Potter ~ The Clay ~ The Idea ~ The Plan ~ The Refining Fire ~ The Reshaped Pot ~ Living as His Clay Pot The Refining Fire In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. I Peter 1:6-7 I am not a potter. I know people who are, but I am not one of them! While digging in and trying to understand the process of taking a lump of clay and turning it into something beautiful, I learned a few things. Being someone who loves the study of words, I found several descriptions of “firing clay” that really resonated with me: · Firing clay transforms it from its humble, soft beginnings into a new substance · The final aim is to heat the object to the point that the clay is “mature”, that is, it has reached its optimal level of melting · Through the process, the clay also becomes less fragile · The drying part that happens in the kiln must happen slowly, or the clay may burst · While in a kiln, clay gets so hot that it gets to a point where it is changed forever One of our daughters, Chloe, was enjoying a beautiful evening with family during a Fourth of July festivity. We all had sparklers and were enthralled with the beautiful fireworks. That is until one of the sparklers met her soft innocent little cheek. There was instant crying and screaming as her skin was burnt by the heat. We quickly took care of it, and continued to treat the burn over the next couple of days. What started out as a light red burn, turned into a very dark and crusty scab, that eventually led to a soft pink scar in the shape of a heart. The burn got worse looking before it got better. Her cheek was changed forever, as now, whenever Chloe’s cheek gets hot or cold, you can see a bit of the pink heart emerge – which we think is pretty cool! As God holds us in His hands, there are times when we may feel quite comfortable being molded and sculpted. Other times it may be a time to “fire the clay”. We may go through a time of great intensity and wonder what is going on, maybe questioning the presence of God. As we are in this refining process, all of who we are is immersed in conditions we most likely would not have placed ourselves in by choice. But the Potter knows best. What does it look like on the other side of the fire? Going back to the definitions we looked at, I love how it fits our description as we are His clay: · Our humble, soft beginnings are turned into a new substance · The final aim is to cause the clay to mature · In the fire, the clay gets so hot it is changed forever · During the process, the clay becomes less fragile If you are currently in the kiln, take heart, you are being refined. You WILL come out on the other side. You will be changed and solidified. Take heart, persevere and anticipate the good your Potter is doing in this process. If you have just gone through the fire, reflect upon what just happened, consider how you are different on this side, and praise God for using the opportunity to mold you for His good. Thank Him for your “heart-shaped” marking. Maybe you are heading to the kiln, about to enter what you anticipate a fiery experience. Take a deep breath, and be at peace knowing your Potter does not waste an experience. Seek Him as you step in this journey. Know that He is God! Write about what refining fire you have experienced. Ask God to reveal to you where He was as you went through that experience. Consider how God used the situation to change you, to humble you. "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed......Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." II Corinthians 4:8-9, 17-18 Identity Found in GodThe Potter and The Clay ~ The Potter ~ The Clay ~ The Idea ~ The Plan ~ The Refining Fire ~ The Reshaped Pot ~ Living as His Clay Pot The Plan Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 We had a plan. We would get married, secure solid jobs, and then start a family. Well, we got married, both got teaching jobs, and both were ready to launch into parenthood. However, it didn’t go down how we expected. Month after month led to disappointment after disappointment. But then, much longer than we planned, we finally were able to have our first baby boy. We had a plan. Let’s have our children close together in age. I got pregnant when our oldest was not quite 1 ½ , which would make them right around 2 years apart, just as we planned. But, about 2 months into the pregnancy, the heart beat faded, and we lost our baby. Not in our plans. We had a plan. We were then blessed with two additional baby girls, and we were so grateful for our 3 gifts of life. We got to a place when we started talking about having another child. And so, we made a plan…and I became pregnant with our fourth child. We thanked God for what this meant because we really felt like it was what He had for us, a reflection of recommitment in our lives. But then, just as I made it to the safe three month stage in my pregnancy, we went in for an ultrasound. We were shocked when we discovered there was no heart beat. We lost another baby. What? This was surely not part of the plan. The pain was so intense as our plans were squelched so strongly. God saw us through that storm, and on the other side, we were blessed with our 4th child. My heart cries out for those of you who suffer from infertility, from miscarriages and still-born births. Take heart – God IS with you and is loving you through it all! I could write about countless times I felt my plans were crushed. I am a planner, a list-maker. I am invigorated when there’s an idea, a vision, and a plan to be made to get there. But through much experience, out of many scenarios when I tried to do things on my own, I found the importance of allowing God to be the originator and implementer of the plan. That doesn’t mean I sit back, do nothing or never dream. Rather, I try and position myself (remember that pliable clay?) where I can be tuned in to what God’s plan is. We are in the hands of a Potter who talks us through His plan. Scripture tells us that, in His time, He reveals Himself to us. He wants to be made known. To understand and walk in His plan, I believe Proverbs 3:5-6 sums it up nicely! Not my understanding, but His. When I have an idea, and devise a plan to fulfill that idea, oh how crucial it is to first lean into Him, submit, surrender what may be MY idea and plan, so that His ways are what I walk in. Just as someone comes up and says, “Hey I have an idea”, we can also launch into our own ways and follow with, “Ok – here’s the plan…” Our plans may get us to a certain point, but the plans of our Potter will bring us into completion. Psalm 94:11 says, “The Lord knows all human plans, He knows that they are futile.” While Psalm 33:11 says, “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” When you sense God has an idea, sit with Him, and invite Him to make the plan with you. Know, as it says in Jeremiah 29:11, God’s plans are good, ultimately and at the core, they are good. Not by our measure, but through His understanding His ways are good. Be full of hope that your Potter has a plan that He is fulfilling in each crevice of His creation in you. He had an idea, and is fulfilling a plan to follow through with His idea. Isaiah 29:16 – “You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”?” Spend some more time with your Potter. Just as He reveals an idea, ask Him what His plans are to fulfill the idea. Write down what you sense He has in mind? Identity Found in GodThe Potter and The Clay ~ The Potter ~ The Clay ~ The Idea ~ The Plan ~ The Refining Fire ~ The Reshaped Pot ~ Living as His Clay Pot The Idea “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 “I have an idea!” I am sure you have said those words. I am sure you have heard those words said. Bear with me here as we dig into this phrase a bit. Depending on the perspective from which these words are said, and if we are honest, depending on who proclaims these words, certain thoughts and emotions arise. For example, picture someone who shares similar interests with you. Someone who “gets” you. Someone who knows what you like. Someone you can trust and respect. When this person approaches you and exclaims, “Hey I have a great idea!” I imagine your heart stirs and adrenaline might kick in as you anticipate hearing the great idea, one that surely you will be excited about! But then, on the other hand, can you think of someone else, or another scenario, that when you hear the person say, “Hey I have a great idea!” your eyes find themselves in an eye roll, all of a sudden there’s a pit in your stomach, and your mind automatically expects the worst, as you anticipate an idea that will not appeal to you what-so-ever! Now shift gears and imagine the Trinity, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit gathers together and proclaims, “Hey, I have a great idea!” They huddle in as the idea takes shape! Not only does this conversation take place at the time of your conception which is so beautifully described in Psalm 139:13-16, the same discussion continues throughout your life! Our Creator, our Potter has a variety of ideas ahead as His hands shape us into who He would have us be. Potters have ideas. Maybe they take a lump of clay and have an idea to mold the clay into a fruit bowl. What is our Potter up to? What is His idea? I have come to realize that I am something my Potter is shaping. When He “created my inmost being” and while I recognize that I am “fearfully and wonderfully made”, His ideas don’t stop there. He has a plan – just for me. “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16. I am thinking He has ideas for us. He doesn’t want us to stay in the mold of infancy, but desires to keep working on us, shaping us into His completion. Just think about this, what emotion arises, or how are you stirred when you hear your Potter say, “Hey I have an idea!” Do you know your Potter enough to know how much He loves you? And do you grasp and accept the truth that out of His abundant love for you, good ideas and good plans await? Can we come to the conclusion that God has ideas just for us? I don’t know about you, but my mind can sure come up with ideas, and well, some of them seem like good ideas! We are challenged to turn our eyes to Him and consider the works of His hand. Because Jesus IS God, He knew God’s idea in detail. He knew He would be sent to earth as a human, leaving His place in Heaven. He knew the joys He would experience in His ministries. He knew the disappointments, trials, temptations, pain and torture He would endure. But in the midst of these realities, Jesus found Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane crying out to His Father, wondering and asking God a question we may at times find ourselves wondering about, “Oh God, Yahweh, Father…Is this really a good idea? Isn’t there another way?” Sometimes we lose sight that God is all-knowing and sovereign. We just wonder what could He possibly be up to? But in those moments, Jesus models for us. Just as He wanted a different idea, a better tasting cup, He had clarity for a moment and shifted His understanding back to His Father’s ideas. He knew God as no other, and out of knowing the Father, He could find it in Him to turn His trust to Him, to the One who creates good ideas. In the midst of deep, deep anguish, He resolved and surrendered, “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” May we know that God has good idea for us. He is, from our conception, molding and shaping us. Rest in knowing that, and may we, as Philippians 1:6 says, “be confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it out on to completion until the day of “Christ Jesus.” Write down ideas of yours that God asks you to surrender, and what ideas does He want to share with you. Identity Found in GodThe Potter and The Clay ~ The Potter ~ The Clay ~ The Idea ~ The Plan ~ The Refining Fire ~ The Reshaped Pot ~ Living as His Clay Pot The Clay But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. II Corinthians 4:7-9 Play-Dough. A substance that has been a part of many children’s childhood memories. The colors! The many tools and gadgets and molds that have been marketed to kids who “have to have”. I remember when our older children were younger, and we would get the Play-dough tub out and fill the kitchen table with Play-dough and all the parts that went with it. Those cool things where you could push down the handle and the lump of Play-Dough would come out in strings, spaghetti or French fries, or even hair on top of a head – incredible! Or those molds you could put a blob of dough in, squish the two ends of the plastic mold together and…POOF…chicken nuggets! The creations were endless! Hours and hours of fun! But wait! I don’t know about you, but this Play-dough experience has also gone down at our house too: The Play-Dough tub had been shelved for quite some time, when all of a sudden, one of the children gets a new set for their birthday. You search for the tub, find it, and dig out all the materials. One by one you open the Play-dough cans, and reach in only to discover a hard, cracked substance that, when touched, only crumbles. Not very moldable. When God’s word describes us as the Potter’s clay, what does that mean? By definition, clay is: an earthly material that is plastic when moist, but hard when fired…used for brick, tile and pottery. Something used for modeling. Clay is something that exists to be molded; to be made into something. This lump of substance would simply be just that if it weren’t for hands to mold it into something. If we are the clay in our Potter’s hand, that means we are “a substance” that has potential to be turned into something our Artist envisions. But what does this substance look like? Clay, Play-Dough, when take care of, when conditions are just right, remains in a state in which the Potter can use the clay as it was intended. But, when the dough gets left unattended, uncared for, and conditions turn the pliable material into something hard and cracked, it’s very difficult for the Potter to do His thing. How do we, the clay, remain in just the right state so that God, our Potter, can place His loving hands upon us to mold us into the beautiful work He envisions? There are the factors that the lump of clay has no control over. Ones that leaves us vulnerable or in a place where the impacts of a broken world cause us to dry up. The hurts and pains that crack our shell result from situations that stiffen us. What are we to do when we come across life situations that interfere with our desire to be pliable in our Potter’s hand? Fear, Anger, Frustration. Maybe hopelessness melts us into a slimy, gooey substance that has no form to even mold. There is hope as God’s clay. What if we do what we can to take care of ourselves? What can protect us from growing dry and cracked, or from becoming a slimy puddle? I go back to the image of Play-Dough. To maintain that nice, soft, pliable state, it is best to keep it in a sealed container, keeping it so it doesn’t have too much air or moisture, too much outside factors that might gradually dry it out. It can be out of the container for a period of time, but it can’t remain there. We do live in a world that has a lot of influence, and impact on us. It is so important that we, as the clay, come to realize what we need to do to preserve the pliability God needs us to have to mold us. For us, it’s not shoving ourselves into a can with a tight-fitting lid on it to secure pliability. For us, it’s surrendering and finding ourselves in the nurturing, strengthening, loving cleft our Potter provides for us. He is our protection, our rock or refuge when the storms of life brew and try and crack us. Finding ourselves nestled in His Word, in His Truth protects us from the damaging conditions life at times throws our way. When we fall into our Potter’s hands, we may be “hard pressed on every side”, “persecuted” and “struck down”, but we will not be ‘”crushed”, or “in despair”, and we will not be “destroyed”! May we be clay in our Potter’s hands. May we choose to take care of ourselves, to keep our pliability so our Potter can mold us as He desires. Write down what you may need to do to become more pliable in your Potter’s hands. Allow God to give you what you need to overcome the pressures that press, persecute and strike you down. Find yourself nestled in His hands, preventing you from being crushed, or in despair or destroyed. He is FOR you. Identity Found in God The Potter and The Clay ~ The Potter ~ The Clay ~ The Idea ~ The Plan ~ The Refining Fire ~ The Reshaped Pot ~ Living as His Clay Pot The Potter: Isaiah 64:8 – Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hands. I am always amazed at the art of pottery. I remember the pottery projects our kids did in school. We would hear about them and anticipate seeing the finished products. Then the day came when they were able to bring them home. Sometimes they came home in the form of a gift, and other times they would simply retrieve the project from the deep abyss, (AKA backpack). What accompanied the excitement, though, was always that crippling moment when they revealed their masterpiece, and I gazed upon a beautiful…a well-crafted…a nicely molded…um…whatchamacallit…You offer up sincere ooos and aaaahs and compliment them for their good work. But it doesn’t end there. Here comes the dreaded question, “Mom, do you know what it is?” Stammer. Stammer. I’ve learned the hard way to answer that question by replying with a smile on my face, “Well why don’t you tell me about it.” I then settle in to hear the description of their project, the detailed explanation of exactly what they had in mind and how they shaped the clay into this final work of art! A potter’s hands are amazing tools used to create beautiful things out of lumps of clay. A potter has the capability of looking at a blob of material and envision what it could potentially be made into. Not only that, but he knows how to do it. Have you ever watched a potter at work? He knows just how fast to spin the wheel, just how much clay to use, just how much water to add, and just how much pressure to apply as the clay is being spun. You can almost see it in their eyes. It’s as if they can see the final product in the midst of the process – from the very first step. The art of a potter is amazing. There are some of us who have an idea of what something should look like at the end, but don’t know how to go about getting there. In our human minds we can muster up an idea of what we would look like as a finished piece of pottery. We might do our best to spin our lives in such a way to craft us into what we think we should be. Or another scenario would be if we place ourselves in someone else’s hands. Maybe there is someone in our life who does a lot of manipulating and who spins us and places their handprint on our lives. But what if God has something else in mind? We can relieve ourselves of such pressure – the pressure of self-creating our clay pot, and the pressure of being molded by the wrong hands. Our Potter knows exactly how to mold us. Let’s consider God, our Potter. Remember He is the very one who created all things. In fact, all things He created out of nothing. He hand-crafted you and me, and breathed life into us. Now what? Scripture refers to our Maker as a Potter. He has the ability, the creative flare, to take this body of clay and mold it into what He envisions us to be. He is an artist we can trust. He knows the material He is working with – in fact, He made the material! He knows the make-up of His clay. He understands the limits and qualities of the clay. He knows the conditions that are needed in order for the clay to be molded into what He envisions it to look like on the other side. He is FOR us. He has a sketch, a plan, and if the clay cooperates, His good, perfect plan can be accomplished. Picture in your mind your Creator, your Maker, your Potter, smiling upon the piece of pottery He was given the opportunity to mold, perfect and refine. Sit in the hands of your Potter and be transformed. What self-created pottery do you need to turn over to your Potter? Is there someone in your life who is attempting to be your potter? Allow God to take over in that role. Write down what comes to your mind as you consider God as your Potter. Allow Him to share with you His plans – the details of the pottery He has in mind for you. This video gives a visual of a potter at work Identity Found in God The Creator and The Creation ~ The Creator ~ The Creation ~ The Relationship ~ The Purpose ~ Living Fully as His Creation Living Fully as His Creation Psalm 139:13-14 – For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful! There is a term used in psychology called self-fulfilled prophecy. Generally speaking, this refers to the idea of, “causing something to happen by believing it will come true”. An example of this is a child who believes their parents like their sibling better than himself. In response to this thought, the child begins to act as though that was true. Maybe they choose to act out or disobey, causing the parents to continually discipline the child, creating the sense that the other sibling is less difficult to deal with, and therefore IS truly liked better. Our mind is an influential part of our being. It is influenced by factors found in our environment around us. Who does our culture tell us to be? How is the expected or accepted way to live? Voices around us seem to scream, or sometimes whisper lies to us. Lies that say in order to really be someone, to really matter in this world you must look a certain way, dress a certain way. You must follow a certain path that keeps you on an imaginary ladder that supposedly finds more and more success with each rung. These voices are all around. What happens when you’re not feeling it? When you try and take the next step up the ladder, and you trip? What happens if you lose your job, or you get a diagnosis, or you realize that age is creeping in on your glamour, style and sway? Who do you end up being when life happens? It’s clear that when we step into the day and attempt to hold tight to worldly identity, we may find ourselves falling to the bottom of the ladder where we find no purpose or worth. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…” Be reminded – God is our Creator who knit us together in an intentional, special way, who breathed life into us, who has already prepared things for us to do. He has us all in His plan. We are part of His story. Man has plans for us too. We need to shift our mind, shift our focus, our perspective FROM man’s expectations and fall in synch with God Almighty. He offers genuine fulfillment for those He loves so much. Each day is an opportunity for you to wake up and proclaim (out loud if it helps :) that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, a wonderful work of God, your Creator. Do as it says in Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Put it on your bathroom mirrors, post it on the dashboard of your car, plaster it on your work bulletin board. Position God’s purpose in front of you continually. Step into each minute anticipating what good works await you. Set your mind on the truth – the understanding that YOU are here for a purpose. There is a reason you are on this earth, in this generation, with specific gifts, talents and resources, surrounded by certain family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. We are not here to live a life that is measured by worldly success. We are not here to climb a ladder made of imperfect expectations that will crumble. But instead, we are created by God to live for Him, and to step on the path He has placed before us. We have a choice. Will you accept the invitation to live a life as a chosen, beautiful, worthy and purposeful creation, and walk towards the Garden with your Creator? Does the thought of this bring relief? Peace? An all encompassing smile on your heart? It sure does to me! Imagine yourself accepting the fact that you are His beautiful creation - that you believe that you are! How does it look to live in this truth? What is He saying to you? Take some time to be still before your Creator and allow Him to speak to you. Write His words down and believe them. He loves spending time with you! Make a commitment to Him that you will stop climbing an earthly ladder, but will stay in step with Him in all that He has planned for you. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 |
AuthorVicki Conn Archives
June 2017
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