A cracked dirt pot = blinding grace
"So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the LORD came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel." Jer. 18:3-6
God works on us; He works on me - kneads and fashions me - and it takes time in my life for Him to do this. Last semester the Lord revealed to me a sin - an area of sin into which I continually decide to fall. I started a Bible study on it and dropped it a few months later. The Lord has begun to show me manifestations of that particular sin -again. He is showing me my heart. I am amazed that He's still working on me in this area. I am so thankful that He is. He doesn't reveal to me my sin once and let me figure it out on my own. He doesn't leave my struggle and weakness alone. He patiently comes back, again and again, and every time He strengthens, encourages, grows, pushes, waters, weeds, and showers with His grace that one area. He shows me His grace in other areas to encourage me to trust Him in this one. He builds a track record in my life that He can point me to. He then asks me to trust Him for the right now and for the tomorrow.
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor. 12:9-10
What gets me is that He uses the inconvenient, the frustrating, the insulting, the 'this is not how I planned it' moments in my life and asks me to revel in them the way a fish does water, the way a bird does the currents that carry it through the sky, the way a lightning bug does the darkness so that he might shine. He asks me to get excited and smile big about life's hardships and to absorb them with the pleasure that I would a good book and a cup of something hot on a rainy day. Why? Why am I to boast in my imperfections - in the understanding of my weaknesses - in the revelation of my weaknesses - in the day to day living of this sin-cursed but God-flooded world? I am to boast about the effects of sin that interrupt my life - being weak, insulted, being slandered for Christ's sake, experiencing calamities, going through hardships. I am to brag, talk about all. the. time, tell everyone about the fact that I am a dirt pot, that I am imperfect, that I am common and I am expendable . . .
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, . . .We are afflicted in every way, . . .perplexed, . . . persecuted, . . . .struck down, . . .always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, . . . For we who live are always being given over to death . . . So death is at work in us . . ." 2 Cor. 4:7a-12a
Why? And how? What is the basis for my excitement about these things? What gives this 'crazy' woman the confidence to stare at calamity and get excited about it? Because He is my power, He is NEVER common, and that I could NOT live without Him!
His grace,
My weakness,
His fashioning of me,
His glory blinding the world through my life . . .
He is a God in control.
". . .to show that the all-surpassing power is of God, and not of us. . .but not crushed, . . .but not driven to despair, . . .but not forsaken, . . .but not destroyed, . . .that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies . . .so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh . . . but life is at work in you." 2 Cor. 4:7b-12b
And what is the end result of this kneading, this fashioning, this being trampled under foot?
"knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4:14-18
We better learn His grace, our understanding and experience of it grows, and the world gets to stand by and watch it happen.
God works on us; He works on me - kneads and fashions me - and it takes time in my life for Him to do this. Last semester the Lord revealed to me a sin - an area of sin into which I continually decide to fall. I started a Bible study on it and dropped it a few months later. The Lord has begun to show me manifestations of that particular sin -again. He is showing me my heart. I am amazed that He's still working on me in this area. I am so thankful that He is. He doesn't reveal to me my sin once and let me figure it out on my own. He doesn't leave my struggle and weakness alone. He patiently comes back, again and again, and every time He strengthens, encourages, grows, pushes, waters, weeds, and showers with His grace that one area. He shows me His grace in other areas to encourage me to trust Him in this one. He builds a track record in my life that He can point me to. He then asks me to trust Him for the right now and for the tomorrow.
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor. 12:9-10
What gets me is that He uses the inconvenient, the frustrating, the insulting, the 'this is not how I planned it' moments in my life and asks me to revel in them the way a fish does water, the way a bird does the currents that carry it through the sky, the way a lightning bug does the darkness so that he might shine. He asks me to get excited and smile big about life's hardships and to absorb them with the pleasure that I would a good book and a cup of something hot on a rainy day. Why? Why am I to boast in my imperfections - in the understanding of my weaknesses - in the revelation of my weaknesses - in the day to day living of this sin-cursed but God-flooded world? I am to boast about the effects of sin that interrupt my life - being weak, insulted, being slandered for Christ's sake, experiencing calamities, going through hardships. I am to brag, talk about all. the. time, tell everyone about the fact that I am a dirt pot, that I am imperfect, that I am common and I am expendable . . .
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, . . .We are afflicted in every way, . . .perplexed, . . . persecuted, . . . .struck down, . . .always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, . . . For we who live are always being given over to death . . . So death is at work in us . . ." 2 Cor. 4:7a-12a
Why? And how? What is the basis for my excitement about these things? What gives this 'crazy' woman the confidence to stare at calamity and get excited about it? Because He is my power, He is NEVER common, and that I could NOT live without Him!
His grace,
My weakness,
His fashioning of me,
His glory blinding the world through my life . . .
He is a God in control.
". . .to show that the all-surpassing power is of God, and not of us. . .but not crushed, . . .but not driven to despair, . . .but not forsaken, . . .but not destroyed, . . .that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies . . .so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh . . . but life is at work in you." 2 Cor. 4:7b-12b
And what is the end result of this kneading, this fashioning, this being trampled under foot?
"knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4:14-18
We better learn His grace, our understanding and experience of it grows, and the world gets to stand by and watch it happen.
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