Category: Encouragement

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

In last week’s post (August 31st), I shared the encouragement that God has a plan for our lives. This week I pray you will be encouraged that He is at work in us to complete that plan!

Years ago, my daughter and her family were able to move into a rental home that God provided for them.  Making the house ready before they moved in was a huge task!  Walls, floors, carpets, appliances all needed to be thoroughly cleaned.  We spent many hours over several days making it ready to move in.  The house was transformed!

We learn from Scripture that our lives need to be transformed.  Romans 3:23 tells us that we all have sinned and we all fall short of God’s holiness.  Isaiah 53:6 says All we, like sheep, have strayed away.  We have left God’s paths to follow our own.    The good news is that God loves us and is working in our lives to accomplish the transformation.  Jesus gave His life on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the world.  For those who have received that gift of salvation and forgiveness, we have been born again. Our spirit that was dead because of sin is given new life. Our sins have been removed “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103: 12).  We are wrapped in Christ’s robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). 

That is how God sees us in Christ, but He continues His work in us to make our daily life match that inward reality.  When we receive His gift of salvation, God also gives us His Holy Spirit to live in us.  His Spirit gives us wisdom and understanding, the desire and the ability to live the way God calls us to live.  We enter a lifelong process called sanctification, being transformed into His image, which will continue until the day Jesus returns, or until we see Him face to face in heaven.

Our part in that process is to acknowledge our sin, receive His gift of salvation, choose His lordship in our life, growing closer to Him in a personal relationship, confessing when we sin, turning back to Him when we have wandered.  We can’t make ourselves right with God on our own by simply trying harder or doing good works.   

What does a transformed life look like? His will for us is to know Him, love Him with our whole heart, to seek His will, listen to Him through prayer and through His Word, and obey through the power of His Spirit in us. He wants us to trust Him with every part of our life, yielding ourselves and everything we have to Him.

Read Philippians 1:6 again and be encouraged!

 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Take some time to think about what Jesus did for you at the cross.  He died to pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world – for you and for me!  He was raised from the dead and promises we also will be raised from the dead to eternal life with Him.  Write out a prayer of thanksgiving to Him.

How can you cooperate with Him in the work He is doing in your life right now?  Is there anything that needs to be confessed?  Any area of your life that you are holding back from Him?

What steps can you take to follow Him more closely in obedience to His will?

For I know the plans that I have for you…

Jeremiah 29:11

My husband and I are now retired, our two children are married adults and have children of their own.  In this season of life, I have a lot more time than when I was raising children and working, and many choices exist for ways to spend time throughout the day – time with my husband, church ministries, family and friends who need help and encouragement – the list goes on. 

How do we choose what to do with our time? I have learned the most important thing is to spend time alone with the Lord early each morning before anything else happens.  I start by asking Him to quiet my mind and delete all the distractions so I can focus on Him.  I ask for eyes to see Him, ears to hear His voice, and a heart to respond to how He leads. This verse in Jeremiah greatly encourages me:  I know the plans I have for you (Jeremiah 29:11).  The Lord knows the plans He has for me!  And I know He waits for me to ask Him.  I can rest and enjoy peace as I trust Him to lead me through the day, watching for what He has planned!  I am learning to depend on Him completely, and I delight to see how He leads! 

I made a list of Scriptures that encourage me as I am waiting for God’s direction for life and ministry opportunities.  I keep it on my desk so that I can refer to it often.  These scriptures and the quotes I included from another source help me, and I pray they will encourage you too.

Ephesians 2:10 We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, so that we should walk in them.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

John 10:4 When He puts forth all His own, He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice.

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me.

Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth…I will even make a roadway in the wilderness.

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God…

Psalm 37:7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him…

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.  I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

II Chronicles 16:9 The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His (NASB)… whose hearts are fully committed to Him (NIV)

I didn’t get permission from the author to use the quotes I would like to include, but if you have the Jesus Calling devotional by Sarah Young, I recommend reading her messages for January 25th and October 27th.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Are there changes that need to be made in your priorities, your attitudes, your choices that will make a positive impact on the way you spend your time?

What is a specific step you can take to begin?

They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that hold no water.

                                                                   Jeremiah 2:13

            Over and over again throughout the book of Jeremiah, God reveals His deep sadness over His people who continually turned away from Him.  The contrast between what He longed to give them and what they actually chose for themselves could lead to the question, “Why?  How could they turn away from God who loved them so much and had promised blessing and abundance if they would only obey Him?”  The warnings against disobedience were absolutely clear, and the consequences of disobedience were devastating. 

            Listen to God’s words in Deuteronomy 6.  He has been speaking to the people of Israel through Moses of the blessings awaiting them when they entered the land He had promised to give them – great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be satisfied (vs. 10, 11).  And the warning immediately follows:  Then watch yourself, lest you forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt…You shall fear only the Lord your God…otherwise, the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth (vs. 12-15).  God’s people could have enjoyed the fountain of living waters, but instead they chose broken cisterns that hold no water.

            It is no different for believers today.  God still generously offers that fountain of living water to all who come to Him. He who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst (John 6:35). Jesus came to give us abundant life and joy in Him. 

            Are you satisfied with living water from God?  Or are you experiencing the frustrations and dissatisfaction of a broken cistern you have made yourself?  At times we try to fill our lives with more people, more activity, more material pleasures.  Too often we turn away from God, perhaps not even consciously at first. We think we would be happy …if only I had more money…if only I had a less demanding (or more challenging) job…if only my kids didn’t need so much of my time and energy…if only my husband (or wife) were more understanding…if only….

Until we turn back to God in repentance, nothing can truly satisfy us.  We will always want more, and it will never be enough. There is no lasting peace and contentment from anything except being filled with living water.  The indwelling Holy Spirit is the living water offered to everyone who comes to Jesus by faith in what He has done for us on the cross.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How would you honestly characterize your life right now?  Is your life a container filled with living water?  Or are you still creating your own cistern and discovering that it holds no water?  Don’t keep trying to patch the broken pot so that it can be filled with things that can never satisfy and will lead only to destruction.  Return to the fountain of living water, to God. 

Where are you tempted to turn to find fulfillment and happiness apart from God?  Will you take time now to confess and ask God to fill you with the living water?

If you are already experiencing the living water, thank Him for that!  Ask Him for opportunities to bring others to the fountain of living water — to God.

           

           

           

          

         

… Learn what is pleasing to the Lord

                                                                  Ephesians 5:10

            My husband and I had invited several friends for dinner one night, and he offered to help me get ready.  The guests were due to arrive shortly and the table wasn’t set, so I asked him to go to the hall closet and get the tablecloth.  While looking for the tablecloth, he discovered a box of ski gloves we had stored in the closet.  He noticed that spots of mold were growing on some of the gloves.  I was busily preparing for the dinner guests when I noticed that he was scrubbing ski gloves at the kitchen sink.  If we had been planning a ski trip for the next morning, it might have been more appropriate, but that was not the case.  The table still was not set for dinner.  Needless to say, I wasn’t pleased.

            Mold on ski gloves does need to be cleaned off. There was nothing essentially wrong with that activity.  It’s just that it wasn’t what I needed him to be doing right then.  There were more urgent things to be done at the moment, like setting the table for dinner!  Even now, many years later, we occasionally tease each other, “Is that mold on the ski gloves you’re working on?” 

            I am often reminded of this verse in Ephesians encouraging us to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.  We all have many choices to make throughout the day about how to spend our time.  How do we know what is pleasing to God?  By making time alone with Him our highest priority each day, spending time in the Word, in prayer, listening for His voice, trusting Him for all the resources necessary to do whatever He calls us to do.  He will be pleased as we follow Him.  I’m learning to start each day praying, “Lord, take my hand and lead me through this day.”  I recognize that He is my Shepherd, and His sheep know His voice.  That is the way I can keep from being distracted by the many choices that present themselves throughout the day.  

            I am confident that as we pray and ask the Lord for His will, the decisions we need to make will become clear — maybe not today, when we want to know, but in His time.  He has promised to be the still small voice saying, This is the way, walk in it… (Isaiah 30:21).

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Spend some time focusing on Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

If you have not already made this a part of your life, I encourage you to make time with the Lord a priority — daily, offering yourself to Him to do whatever would please Him during the day.  The only way you can know for sure is by asking Him!  Trust Him for all the resources to carry out whatever He places before you.

When is the best time for you to set aside to have time alone with the Lord?

What changes can you make in your current schedule of activities to make regular time with Him a priority?

Now unto Him who is able to do  exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or imagine…

Ephesians 3:20

A few years ago, my women’s Bible study group committed to support the ministry of a missionary couple in Papua New Guinea.  In their monthly prayer letter, we read of a major project – the printing of the New Testament and Proverbs their team had translated into the language of the people they had worked with for many years.  The missionaries had calculated the cost of printing each book and presented their supporters the opportunity to contribute toward the amount for printing an entire book or a partial amount.

As the Bible study leader, I presented this opportunity to the women to discuss what we could do as a group.  I’m ashamed to admit that I looked down the list to find the cheapest one – the book of Jude cost $159.  I thought if no one else wanted to contribute, I could write a check for that amount myself.  But one of the women said, “How about the book of John?”  We were currently studying the lessons I wrote for that book.  I looked at the price of $2,224 and laughed, saying “yeah, right.”  That ended the discussion for the day. 

The next morning, I woke up to spend my quiet time with the Lord.  As I prayed, the thought immediately came to me, “Why not the book of John?  Didn’t you just teach the lesson about Jesus feeding the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish?   Didn’t you just teach the lesson about Peter jumping out of the boat to walk on water when Jesus called him to come?” 

All day, thoughts continued about sponsoring the book of John.  In the afternoon, I called the group member who had suggested that book.  I told her my thoughts from the morning.  We prayed together and agreed that we should move forward and sponsor the entire book of John.  We both felt really excited!  I called each of the women in the study, and all agreed.  So, I emailed the message to the missionaries with our decision!  That was March 8^th.  We needed the total of $2,224 by September.  

Soon other ideas came to me – maybe we could have a bake/craft/garage sale.  What about including other Bible study groups, Sunday School classes, the whole church!  We were excited to see how God would lead and provide for this commitment.  The pastors and church leaders gave a clear go-ahead with their full support.  I made a personal announcement to the congregation the next Sunday telling of the opportunity and inviting them to participate.

The following week, I got a call from the church treasurer asking if I wanted to know how much money had been contributed so far.  In just one week, we received $1,215.  Less than a month later we had received a total of $2,220!

We had a garage sale, and contributions kept pouring in. By May 14th the contributions totaled $3,629.  Our commitment was exceeded by nearly $1,400!  We could apply the extra money to the printing of other books! In the May prayer letter from the missionaries, they announced they had received all the money needed for printing (and even shipping!) the entire New Testament, plus Proverbs.

            What a faith-training experience for me personally! I felt so humbled to see what God did with a very small step of faith.  More recently, as I recognized God’s call for me to publish the devotionals that I’ve written, I could look back at this experience and trust Him to lead each step to accomplish it.  Setting up a website was far more complicated, and at times more frustrating than I thought it would be. There were times when I was tempted to put all the pages back in the file cabinet and just leave them there!  But God is faithful to equip and provide for whatever He calls us to do.  And I’m so blessed as I grow in faith to follow wherever He leads.

I pray this experience will encourage you to trust God for His ability to do whatever He calls you to do.  He is able to do “exceeding abundantly above what we can think or imagine!”

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Has God called you to do something that seems impossible? 

How have you responded?

How has this message encouraged you?

What steps will you take to respond to the Lord’s call?

Jesus said, “Remove the stone…Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

John 11:39-40

Jesus spoke these words at the tomb of Lazarus who had been dead four days.  He told the people gathered there to remove the stone from the tomb. 

When I read this Scripture recently, the question came to mind:  What “stone” needs to be removed from my heart so that I can see the glory of God. The Phillips translation says “so that I can see the wonder of what God can do.”  Any “stones” of sin in our heart stand in the way of our ability to see clearly all that God wants to do in our life, our ability to hear His voice.  They keep us from experiencing the closeness we can have in a loving relationship with Him.  They stand in the way of the blessing that God longs to pour out on us. Here are some examples of “stones” that come to mind:

• Busyness
• Fear
• Unbelief
• Pride
• Rebellion
• Lack of forgiveness
• Lack of trust
• Unhealthy relationships
• Need to be in control
• Self righteousness
• Lack of love
• Judgmental attitudes
• Serving other “gods”

Can you identify with any of these?  Can you think of others in your own life? As I was asking God to search my heart and show me anything that needed to be confessed, He brought to mind a long-held lack of forgiveness toward a family member who passed away a long time ago.  I thought I had worked through that issue over the years, but I was aware that the unforgiveness was still a problem.  I confessed, and asked God to change my heart and help me to release those feelings.  I realize how God has forgiven me, and He has made it possible to let go of the negative feelings I have held onto for so long.  By God’s grace, I am experiencing a freedom that could not happen with my own effort.

I noticed from the Scripture that removal of the “stone” comes first, then we can see the glory of God more clearly — not the other way around.  God will help us remove the sinful “stones” from our heart if we confess and ask Him for forgiveness.  The result is cleansing, freedom, peace and joy in a right relationship with the Lord.  We will “see the wonder of what God can do.”

Only through the death of Jesus on the cross for our sins can we escape God’s judgment.  Once we accept Jesus’ sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sin and place our faith in Him, His blood cleanses us from sin and removes it from us.  We can claim God’s promise in Ezekiel 36:26:

I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

If you have never received God’s gift of salvation through Jesus, it is not too late.  You can ask Him to forgive your sins, invite Him to cleanse you and give you a new heart and a new spirit.

Maybe you have been saved already, but you have been living life on your own terms without living a life that is pleasing to God.  Listen to Him calling you back and make the choice to follow Him. 

What “stones” need to be removed from your heart so that you can more clearly see the glory of God in your life?

…Walk as children of light…

                                                                   Ephesians 5:8

            Light is something I take for granted — until the power goes out.  On the rare occasions when the power is out, we can usually get out the flashlights and lanterns and create a temporary light source.  But I remember the time I was leaving an unfamiliar office complex, and I went into a restroom I’d never been in before.  It took me completely by surprise when suddenly the lights went out.  I could see absolutely nothing!  At least when I’m at home I remember where doors are and the general layout of the floor plan.  But here I had to stop and try to think which direction I had entered and slowly feel my way along until I found the wall which led to the exit door.  What a relief to step out into the bright daylight again.

            How often do we take for granted the spiritual light we have been given?  Do you ever think what life would be like if Jesus, the “light of the world,” had not come?  Those of us who are walking with the Lord have the incredible gift of His offer of wisdom and direction for every decision we must make, strength in the midst of any circumstance, certain hope for whatever the future holds.  We have the Bible, God’s Word, which is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).  We have the light, God’s truth, which shows us the way to freedom from enslavement to sin and fear. 

          Once we know Jesus, the true Light of the World, we are told to walk as children of light.  Matthew 5:14 says that we are the light of the world.  We are to be the light that draws others to the Lord.  I originally wrote this devotional before any of us had even heard of the Coronavirus which is now causing devastating effects in the lives of people around the world.  I am convicted by my lack of concern for the many who are still in darkness, living in fear, without hope that can only be found in a personal relationship with Jesus.  I’m challenged not to just be satisfied with the light I have been given to walk with the Lord, but to take seriously God’s call to represent Him to others, to share His light and truth, to let my light shine so others will be drawn to Jesus.  I’m encouraged to pray that the Lord will awaken a deep concern in my heart for those who do not yet know Him.  I’m asking Him for opportunities to shine His light through me so that others might find the way to Him.

            This world has changed so dramatically in the last few months. So many are suffering in these confusing, unsettling, uncertain times, fearing for their health and loved ones, the potential loss of jobs, businesses. But God never changes.  He is still sovereign.  He still reaches out with the offer of forgiveness of sin, salvation, wisdom, strength, hope, and abundant life through a relationship with Jesus through faith.  I want to share the Good News with others who don’t know Him. People need the Lord! May God open doors of opportunity to share His love and His truth so that others may be drawn to Him.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Read Ephesians 5, the entire chapter.  This will help clarify “walking in the light” and “walking in darkness.”

What does it mean to walk in the light?

What is the condition of someone who is walking in spiritual darkness?

Who do you know personally who is still walking in darkness?  What can you do to be “light” to that person?

And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Manna.  What is it?  That was the question the people of Israel asked when it first appeared on the ground.  They had been in the desert only a short time following their escape from slavery in Egypt.  They were hungry and began accusing Moses and Aaron of bringing them out to the wilderness to die of hunger.  Manna was God’s answer to their need for food.  (We read about this in Exodus 16:1-36.)

            Why did God command the people to gather only enough manna for one day?  Why not gather enough for several days or even a whole week?   Wouldn’t it save a lot of time if they gathered more than one day’s supply at a time? 

I believe the people needed a daily reminder that their manna, their food, was God’s provision for them.  If they were allowed to gather as much as they wanted, they could eventually forget this was God’s provision and begin to think it was their own ability to gather a lot that was to be admired.  Instead, the one-day-at-a-time supply forced the people to acknowledge daily that their food was a miracle from God.  Each morning as they went outside to get enough for the day, their minds should have turned in gratitude toward the God who had supplied it.

            Probably most of us are in the position the Israelites would have been in if they had been permitted to gather as much as they wanted.   If we think about it at all, we may be tempted to think that we have provided for our own needs.  We buy what we need with the money we have earned from our own jobs.  It is easy to forget that without God we would not even be able to take another breath.  Life itself, and every good and perfect gift, comes from Him (James 1:17). We need to remember to acknowledge God and thank Him for His daily provisions. 

            Not only should we acknowledge God’s daily provisions for our own lives, but we need to come to Him daily for “food” to give others.  Think about the miracle of Jesus feeding the multitudes (Mark 6:30-44).  Jesus had spent the whole day healing the sick.  When evening came, the disciples pointed out to Jesus it was time to send the people away so that they could go into the villages and buy food for themselves. Jesus said, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”  Of course, the disciples didn’t have the resources it would take to buy food for that many people!  I can hear the sarcasm in their voices as they respond, “Shall we go and spend 200 denarii on bread and give them something to eat?”  (200 denarii is equivalent to 8 months wages for a common laborer.) Jesus told the disciples to gather what was available.  They brought back five loaves and two fish–pathetically little compared to what was needed!  Jesus said, “Bring them here to Me.”  He blessed what they had, broke it, and “kept giving them to the disciples to set before the multitude” (Luke 9:16). Notice that the disciples had to keep coming back to Jesus to get refills so they could distribute food to the people.  In Jesus’ hands, that little offering became more than enough to meet the need!

            This is encouraging to me when I think of ministering to people Jesus brings into my life.  My first reaction is, “I don’t have what they need.”  And that’s true — I don’t.  But then I remind myself of the truth in 2 Corinthians 3:5. My adequacy comes from Him, not from myself.  I don’t have what they need, but God does.  I have to keep coming back to Him for wisdom to help them trust God to provide all they need.

            The needs around us are overwhelming.  People all over the world are in desperate need.  What do I have to offer?  Jesus says, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).   But what about the needs of the people Jesus has placed right in my path?  The attitude I want to have every day is one of complete dependence on God for the provisions He wants me to have, both for my own life and for the needs of others that He brings to my attention.  I can bring to Jesus the gifts He has given me.  I can present myself to Him as a living sacrifice and be available to serve.  Through His miraculous power, I can do what He calls me to do because He promises to supply every need.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Has God brought a specific need to your attention that He may be asking you to respond to?

Do you feel inadequate to meet that need?  Are you willing to trust Him to provide everything you need to take the next step in meeting the need?

Write out your prayer to God.  Remember to thank Him for His promise to provide everything you need.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither…

                                                           Psalm l:1-3

The stability and beauty of a tree firmly planted by a stream is an encouraging analogy to me, especially in these unsettling and uncertain times of a worldwide pandemic. I think of the roots that go down deep into the earth and spread out to reach the source of nutrients in the soil and water.  I am amazed at trees growing on steep banks by a stream with most of the root system exposed.  It seems impossible that the tree could still be standing.  The years of wind and rain and erosion have taken their toll, but the tree is still standing firm.

The psalmist gives this description of one whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.  This stability and strength come from a relationship with the Lord, one that grows deeper as we spend time in His Word, getting to know Him, understanding His will for our life, and living in obedience to Him. Scripture tells us that He is the vine, we are the branches.  If we abide in Him, we will bear much fruit (John l5:5).  We will be able to stand firm and bear fruit even during the trials and difficult circumstances that are sure to come. 

  Psalm l07 gives the opposite picture.  It speaks of those who wandered in the wilderness in a desert region…they were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them…There were those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in misery and chains, because they had rebelled against the words of God.

             We clearly have a choice — We can delight in the law of God or we can ignore Him, or even rebel against Him.  We can grow stronger in our relationship with Him through spending time with Him in prayer and being in His Word, or we can give in to the lies of Satan, our enemy who seeks to destroy us. During this time of the pandemic, it is especially important to stay connected to other believers so we can encourage each other in our walk with God and to be able to strengthen others who are struggling with fear and uncertain circumstances.

            We need to mature and grow strong in our relationship with God so we recognize the lies of our enemy and refuse to stray from the path of truth.  We need to be willing to listen to the still, small voice of God saying, This is the way, walk in it (Isaiah 30:21).  That path will lead to life as God intended us to live — like a tree firmly planted by a stream.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

We can ask ourselves these questions:  Am I like the tree firmly planted by streams of water?  Or am I wandering aimlessly in the desert living in fear and uncertainty?

What choices do I need to make to cause my “roots” to be firmly planted by the life-giving stream?

Pray and ask God if there is someone He wants you to encourage to grow stronger in the Lord?

Read Psalm 1:3 again and personalize it: I will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither…

We are the clay, and You are the potter.  We all are formed by Your hand.

                                                                      Isaiah 64:8

I love this analogy for God’s work in our lives.  A potter begins with a project in mind and carefully chooses just the right clay.  He then begins to mold and shape, his hands always on the clay carefully adding a little clay here, taking away a little there, continually forming until the piece is complete.  The potter then places his creations into a kiln at a very high temperature.  He knows just the right temperature and the length of time to leave he piece in the kiln to ensure the object will be strong and durable.

            In Psalm 139, we learn that God formed us in our mother’s womb.  Life takes on a new perspective when we understand God personally formed each one of us.  It is no accident that you are as tall (or as short) as you are.  Even if you were born blind, lame, or what is considered defective in some way, it is not a mistake. We may look at our life and think God could not possibly make something for His glory.  But I am convinced that when we come to Him in complete surrender, He is able to take all the broken pieces and create something new and beautiful. Whatever our condition, when we come to Him, He will use us to bring glory to Himself.  There is true joy and freedom for those who recognize and accept God’s plan for our lives.

            The Bible is full of encouraging words that tell us we are in a process of transformation.  God will use every experience in our lives to mold us into the vessel He intends us to become if we allow Him to have His way.  He uses the “heat” of our trials and difficult circumstances to mold and shape us for His purpose.  Notice the perspective we are to have from His Word: 

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).  

            I personally experienced God’s hands shaping my life when I submitted to His will to return to my marriage after a period of separation.  God knew the plans He had for my life, and He created me for something much more beautiful than what I had planned for myself.  By submitting myself to Him, I experienced His love, His grace and mercy, His forgiveness, His power to transform my life and our marriage.  God created in me a heart of love for Him, for my husband, and a desire to live each day in the center of His will. 

            If we have come to the place where we can honestly say, “You are the potter; I am the clay; do whatever you want with my life,” we can be fully confident that He is at work and will make something beautiful.   God promises, He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

We can experience true joy and freedom when we recognize and accept God’s plan for our lives. We can trust Him to be at work in every circumstance.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Can you honestly say to God, “You are the potter; I am the clay.  Do whatever you want with my life”?  Will you ask Him to give you a heart that is willing to be molded and shaped by Him for His purpose?

What are you holding back that would keep God from having His perfect will in your life?

Take time to read Psalm 139.  Think about the truth that God personally formed you in your mother’s womb.  He knows you completely.  Identify any areas of your life – physically, emotionally, intellectually – that you consider defective.  Bring these before the Lord and ask Him to show you how He can use even this for His glory.

What circumstances in your life right now is God using to mold you into His perfect vessel?

Remember that you are in a process that will last as long as you live.  God will use every circumstance of your life to mold you. He does not force His will on you, but He requires your submission and obedience to become the vessel He designed you to become. Write a prayer to express your desire.

For the eyes of the Lord search to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

2 Chronicles 16:9a

I love this truth about the Lord – He actively searches for people whose hearts are completely tuned to Him so that He can “strongly support” them!  He has a plan and a purpose for each of our lives, but the question is “Am I seeking His plan and listening for His direction?”  Can I honestly say my heart is completely His, or am I choosing my own way and seeking my own desires? 

How can I be sure I’m following His will and not my own?  As followers of Jesus, we can be sure that if we truly seek His will, and commit to do whatever He wants, He will show us.  His guidance may come through a Scripture, some other Christian source we read, the message from a sermon, conversations with other believers.  Just trust as you wait for His clear direction, and He will guide you in His time and in His way.

How sad it is to read in the Old Testament about men who “followed the Lord, did what was right in His sight, “but”… or “except”…

1 Chronicles 25:1-2

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem… He did right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart.

1 Kings 11:3-6

Solomon had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines, and his wives turned his heart away.  For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been…. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not follow the Lord fully, as David his father had done.

1 Kings 11:9-10

Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the Lord had commanded.

1 Kings 15:5 …because David did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

Sometimes I choose to follow my own desires instead of following the truth I know about God’s will.  I am so grateful God’s love and grace and mercy called me back to Himself.  His forgiveness is available, no matter how far we stray if we repent and turn back to Him.

These scriptures challenge me to think about my own life.  I desire for the Lord to look at me and see a heart completely devoted to Him, a heart willing to follow wherever He leads, no matter what.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Is there an area in your life that the Lord would say to you, “You are doing what is right except…”

I encourage you to spend time with the Lord and ask Him to search your heart and show you what He sees. 

Do you need to repent and turn back to follow Him with your whole heart?  He is so ready and willing to forgive!