Don't Throw It Away!

"The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,  Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it." (Jeremiah 18:1-4).

     Many years ago, when I was in college, I had to take an art class. During this class, the instructor brought in a potter's wheel and some clay. She put the clay on the wheel and turned it on. Suddenly, right before our eyes, she sculpted a beautiful bowl. She made it look so easy! She then gave each of us a piece of clay and told us that we were to create something only using the clay and our hands, then we were to use a sharp instrument and write our initials on the bottom of it and place it on the shelf to dry. Then, she would put it in the kiln (the oven) to harden it to make it permanent. Without this process, the clay would still be soft and not be usable. She told us that in two days, we would be able to paint our creation and then we could take it home. We would only get one of two grades:  pass or fail. The only way to get a fail was if we refused to do it, or if it fell apart while it was in the kiln. She explained to us that if we had things in the clay, (dirt, hair, air bubbles, or anything that was not supposed to be in there) it would fall apart when the fire began to heat up the clay.

     All the next day, I was nervous, hoping my clay vase I had created did not fall apart. I went and got some flowers for it, and even made room on a shelf in my home for my new vase. I was really hoping it did not fall apart. I went in the next day, and could not find my vase on the shelf. I hunted everywhere. It was not there. I was devastated!  I thought maybe someone else took it by mistake. No one had it. The only thing on the shelf something that I could not tell what it was. I knew it wasn't mine. The instructor looked on it and it had my initials. I was shocked!  I told her I had made a vase, and this was not a vase. She explained that things happen in the kiln sometimes and things come out of the fire looking different than when they went in. She told me I got a passing grade because it did not fall apart. I was glad for that, but very sad that my vase didn't turn out the way I thought it should. I was getting ready to throw it away when someone asked me if they could have it. I asked them why they wanted it and they told me it was a perfect candle holder!  I didn't want it to be a candle holder, I wanted a vase.  I didn't even think it looked like a candle holder. Then, I studied it closely. I examined it from every angle, and it did, in fact, look like a candle holder. So, I decided to keep it and paint it. The instructor said she was glad I decided to keep it and not throw it away, because she thought I meant for it to be a candle holder. 

     I put a candle in it when I got home and it fit perfectly. I used my new candle holder for years afterwards, and later, while moving from one house to another, it got broken. I cried. That was my creation, and now it was broken and useless. To think:  something that at one time I was ready to throw away, now I did not want to lose.

      The lesson to this true story?   God is the Potter and we are the clay. He shapes and molds our lives into what He wants us to be. Often times, we are ready to give up and throw away everything He has done for us because our lives didn't turn out the way we thought they should have. We don't see the purpose or usefulness in our lives. We feel we are just sitting on the shelf unwanted and unloved. God has a purpose. He wants us to be like that candle holder and shine His light to this world. We might think we would rather be something else. Maybe we want to be a musician or preacher or teacher or whatever; but God has designed us to be something else. We should not despise the work that God is doing and has done in us. He knows what He is doing. 

     We all go through the fire. Trials and problems come. Sometimes, we fall apart when we go through those hard times. When that happens, the Master Potter lovingly starts all over and begins the shaping process in us all over again. He never gives up on us. Never. He never will. Trust Him to create in you His divine purpose and plan. Don't throw it away because it isn't what you wanted it to be. Stay on that potter's wheel until you are the vessel of honor He wants you to be. 

"But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."  (Isaiah 64:8).

         We must remember that we are valuable and very much loved by the Lord. He cares for us deeply and wants to create in us a mighty work. We must allow Him to shape and mold us and we must be willing to go through trials (the fire). If we never go through the fire, then we are as the clay that never goes through the kiln (oven). We will not be durable. We will not endure. We will not become strong. We often times look back later and realize that we came out of the fire different than we were when we went in. That's what helps us grow. The fire isn't pleasant, but it is necessary for our usefulness in the Kingdom of God.

     Don't give up. God is still patiently working on each of us. We must be willing to do the work that God called us to do. Let Him continue working. He has a plan and purpose that we can't even imagine!  He doesn't make mistakes, so we shouldn't throw it away!

Keep Searching

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."  (Matthew 7:7-8).

     We have all had the misfortune of misplacing something: our keys, pencil, money, a paper with information on it, or other things. It is frustrating to realize the item isn't where you thought it was. You must remember where you had it, and begin tracing your steps to try to find it again. Sometimes, it is found quickly; other times, it takes longer. Sometimes, the item is never found. 

      Have you ever lost your hope? Your joy? Your peace? Your direction? Your focus? Your strength? It is such a sad, hopeless feeling realizing that what you once had has been lost. You feel as though it will never be restored to you. The devil wants you to think it's gone forever. If he can convince you that it's gone forever, then you will stop seeking for it. You will give up and become defeated. 

"Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it. And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost." (Luke 15:8-9).

     This passage shows how a woman sought diligently for some money she had lost. She didn't sit down and give up. She didn't moan and cry. She didn't blame someone else. She didn't ask God why. She didn't get depressed. She lit a candle (got in the light) and looked everywhere in her house for this money. I can imagine that she looked under the beds, in the closets, in the drawers and cupboards, under the rugs, everywhere. This woman was determined to find what belonged to her. She did not let anything or anyone stop her. 

     Are you as diligent as this woman? When you realize you no longer have the joy of the Lord, or the peace of God, or strength, peace, hope or whatever else it may be, do you sit down and give up, or do you search until you find it? Jesus has all the answers you need. He is your peace. He is your hope. He is your strength, your joy, your healing, and everything else you need. So, you don't have to look anywhere else for what you've lost. Alcohol, drugs, relationships, money, wealth, or anything else the devil tries to get you to turn to will not satisfy. Only Jesus satisfies. 

"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."  (Jeremiah 29:13).

     If you seek God with all you have in you, you will find all that He has to offer. This search for Him must be with all your heart, and not just haphazard and when it's convenient. It must be a pursuit like none other. 

"My soul followeth hard after thee:" (Psalm 63:8).

"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;" (Psalm 63:1).

"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." (Psalm 42:1).

    

      These Scriptures and so many others show us the importance of seeking the Lord with our whole heart. We are missing out on so many things in our lives because we often neglect seeking Him more. 

       Is something missing from your life today? You will find it if you will search for it diligently. Do not give up. Don't believe the lies that you've lost it forever. Nothing is so far lost that it can't be restored. Keep searching, and you will find it!

Who's Your Father?

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:12).

     In 1987, I was in another town, almost two hours away from my home. It was the first time I was ever in this town.  I was approached by a woman I had never met before. She started asking me questions about a certain man. She told me his name. She told me how old he was and where he went to school. She told me the names of his brothers and sister and his parents. She asked me if I were related to him. I told her the name of the man she was talking about was my father, but I was perplexed that she would know him, since she was two hours away from  his home town. She said she hadn't seen him since 1947 when they were in the 6th grade together in school, then she moved away and had not seen him since. I asked her what made her ask me about him, and how she associated me with him. After all, she hadn't seen him in 40 years!  She said, "Honey, you look just like him! You walk like him, you talk like him and everything about you reminds me of him!"  She hadn't seen my father in 40 years, but saw enough of him in me to know I belonged to him! We discussed him awhile and I showed her some pictures I had with me. We had a nice visit, then we parted ways. As I made the trip home, I began to think about all this. It was very strange that she thought that I looked like him. I was 21 at the time, and she last saw my father when he was 14 at that time. 

     She had seen me from a distance, and immediately made the connection to my father.  As I began to think about all of this,  immediately began to ask myself, "Can people tell who my Father is by watching my life, by listening to me talk?"  Now, I am not referring to my earthly father, but can people tell that God is my Father by watching me? Do I act like my Father? Do I talk like Him? Do I respond to people and situations like Him? Can they tell I spend time with Him? Can they see that I have a relationship with Him? 


"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13).

   
     It was obvious to all who saw Peter and John that they had a relationship with Jesus. They acted like Him, they talked like Him and was like Him in so many  ways that others could see it.  If we call God our Father, then we should act like Him. We should talk like Him, walk like Him and live like Him. When others are around us, there should be no question as to who our Father is. When they talk with us, they should not wonder if we are a Christian or not. When they interact with us, they should know that God is our Father. If they do not know, then we are not living the way we should. If they have to wonder or guess if we are a Christian or not, then perhaps we are not. If we are truly His child, our actions and words will prove it.  

     Just as an earthly father wants his children to look like him and act like him, God wants us to be like Him as well.  It should be our desire to be more like him every day of our lives. The more like Him we become, the more of Him the sinners will see in us. 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16). 

     So, who is your Father? If God is your Father, then determine today to begin to spend more time with Him, develop your relationship with Him and begin acting more like Him. Others will see the resemblance and will want to know more about Him!  They are watching us (just as this woman was watching me without my knowledge). If we say He is our Father, but we do not act like Him, then they will not listen to anything we try to tell them about Him. 


"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." (John 12:32).

     If we want others to come to know Christ as their Savior, then we must lift Him up. If we are living in ways that dishonor Him, then He is not being lifted up in our lives. He is looking for people who want to be more like Him. Seek Him more and follow after Him. Others will then see Christ in us, and will want to become a child of God also. 

   


   

God's Got the Lid

 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jeremiah 29:11).

     
      Are you familiar with the puzzles you put together as a child? They came in a box with a picture of what the finished puzzle should look like on the lid. Some people put the puzzle together without the use of the picture on the lid. This made the puzzle more challenging. This caused more struggle as the pieces were put together. Some pieces appeared to fit together, but in reality, did not. As the puzzle pieces were put together, the picture begins to appear. It's exciting to watch as this picture comes alive...one piece at a time.  Some people wanted to always look at the picture on that lid, so they knew where the pieces went. This was less challenging and must faster to complete. 

     Every day of our lives, we are faced with choices and decisions. These choices and decisions are like puzzle pieces. Sometimes, the puzzle pieces go together smoothly and without much effort. Other times, it seems the pieces just won't fit together. We struggle and struggle and try to force them to fit together, but our efforts are in vain. We don't have the advantage of knowing how all these pieces fit together. We don't always know the outcome of each decision we make.

     We all at one time or another wish we could see what future holds. We would like to see what will happen exactly if certain decisions are made. We wonder how situations will turn out. We feel like we are blindly putting these puzzle pieces together. It seems nothing fits together and no matter how much we try to force them, those pieces just won't seem to fit. When the pieces don't fit, we try others and keep trying until we get it right. There must be an easier way. 

     Well, God sees all and knows all. He knows the end from the beginning, and He can see the big picture. He knows what the final outcome will be. He is wiser than we are. So, we could say that God has the lid to our box, and knows where each piece needs to go. If we listen to Him and obey Him, He will guide us as we make each decision. If we trust Him to lead us in our daily lives, then the pieces will fall into place the way He wants them to.  

     So many people blame God when their lives don't go as they planned. They get angry with Him and bitter towards Him. The decisions (puzzle pieces) are in our hands. It is up to us what we make out of our lives. It is up to us if we are blessed or cursed. It is up to us if the puzzle fits together or not. 

     Trust God. He knows what He is doing. He is involved in our lives every day. Don't resist His instruction and His guidance. He is not out to harm you. He loves you so much. He wants to bless and give you a future. However, if you are unwilling to allow Him to lead and guide you, then that future will be unpleasant and destructive. Follow Him, listen to Him, trust Him. He will not disappoint you.  

     

Where Are You?

"And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9).


         If you have ever been in a large building; such as a mall, airport, arena or somewhere like that, you have probably seen those maps of the building on the wall and an "X" stating "You Are Here".  Now, why would you  need the "X" telling you that "You Are Here"?  You know where you are. You can look around and see where you are.  Well, the answer is clear. The reason you need to know where you are is to make sure you can map out your route to your destination. You know where you want to go, but if you do not know where you are, then you will not be able to find the right path to get there.   

     It is the same when looking at a map. If you have somewhere you want to travel, you need to find the correct path to get there. The only way the path can be mapped out is to first determine where you are. 


     Adam and Eve had disobeyed God's command. He told them that they could not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This was a command. They ate the fruit from that tree in direct disobedience. When they heard God's voice coming to talk with them as He had done every day before, they felt guilty and afraid. They decided to go hide; thinking He couldn't find them.  So, in the above verse, God asked Adam where he was. Now, God knew exactly where Adam was, He just wanted to see if Adam knew where Adam was. Adam had veered off the correct path, and God was bringing it to his attention.

     In this journey called life, we all are heading toward a destination. There are many turns, detours, and intersections. God has given us a map (the Bible), to show us how to get to our destination.  This map shows us the path to take, where to turn, where to stop and wait, and when to go forward. This map is the inspired Word of God and God would never lead us in the wrong direction. He can be trusted and we need to always follow His leading.   

     However, in order to follow the map effectively, we must first find out where we are. This sounds simple, but there are so many people in this world who not only  do not know where they are going, but have no idea where they are. They think they are on the right path, when in reality, they are very far from the path. They think they are in the fellowship of Christ, but in reality, they are far from Him. The devil will often distort our perspective and make us believe we are on the right path, while all the while, we are running around in circles day after day after day. We must stay focused every day; making sure that our every step is ordered by the Lord.


"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way." (Psalm 37:23).


"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11).

     So, first of all, do you know where you are going? Are you going to Heaven? Heaven is only for those who accept Jesus as their Savior. Not everyone is going to Heaven.  Are you staying on the right path? Are you following the map?  Now, do you know where you are right now?  Are you headed in the right direction?   Make sure the path you are taking is the one God has designed for you. Only then will you find true joy, peace and love. The wrong path leads to destruction. 

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:14-15).

Who Do You Think You Are?

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." (Matthew 4:1-11).

      Has anyone ever said to you, "Who do you think you are?"  Have they ever told you that you were a nobody and you were not important? Have they ever told you that you would never matter and that you couldn't do anything? If these things are told to us long enough, if we do not take control of those words, they become our thoughts and beliefs. Before long, we will start to believe that we are nobody and of no value or importance. 

      In these verses of Scripture, Jesus had been fasting 40 days and nights. He was preparing for His ministry on this earth. The devil came to Him and said, "If you are the Son of God"... The devil knew who Jesus was. Jesus knew who He was as well. So, why did the devil question who Jesus was?  He did it for the same reason he comes to us with lies and deceit. That is who he is. That is what he does. He didn't say that Jesus wasn't the Son of God. He said, "IF you are the Son of God". He was challenging Jesus.  He was trying to get Jesus to do some miracles just to prove Himself. Jesus did not need to do any miracles to prove Himself. The devil didn't give up on the first chance. He said it again when Jesus refused to give in the first time. He was trying to get Jesus to doubt who He really was. Jesus did not give in to that temptation.

     The devil will come to us and say, "If you are really a Christian, why are you sick? If you are really following Jesus, why are your children not saved?  If you are really a child of God, why do you struggle with finances? If you are really God's child, why are you going through such a hard time?"  The list goes on and on with things that the devil will come against us with to try to get us to doubt our relationship to God.  If we do not take control of those thoughts and cast them down, before long, we might start believing those things. If we start to believe those things, then we will begin to distance ourselves from God. We will pray less, read the Bible less, fellowship with other Christians less, and stray from the ways of the Lord.

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

     Don't allow these thoughts stay in your mind. If you are a Christian, you are a child of God. It doesn't matter what others say about you. It doesn't matter how they look at you. It doesn't matter what you have done in your life. If all has been forgiven, God sees you as His child. Don't allow the devil to cause you to doubt that. Don't allow him to convince you that you are worthless or unimportant. God loves you and gave His very best for you.  He cares for you so very much. The devil wants you to believe that God is against you and that you are not worthy of God's love and acceptance. These are lies. John 8:44  tells us that:

"...because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

     If you have been forgiven through the blood of Jesus, then you are a child of God!!!  What a glorious thought to know that we are His children!  We as parents on this earth, will do anything we can to give our children the best life we can. We do not want them to ever doubt who they are and who they can become. We provide for them, we nurture them, we love them unconditionally. God loves us more than we could ever love our children. He provides for us and wants the best for us. We should never doubt any of this.

     If you are not a child of God, if your sins have not been forgiven, if you are not a Christian, you can be; today. Just simply call on Jesus and ask Him to forgive you of your sins. Ask Him to make you a child of God and cleanse your heart and life. Lay down your sins and begin this beautiful journey of following the Lord. Then you can say, "I am a child of God!"  

      If the devil was bold enough to challenge Jesus, then we should know that we are not exempt from such challenges also. Jesus didn't give into the challenge. He used the Word against him by saying, "It is written". He didn't argue with the devil. He simply used His authority against him. We are to do the same. The next time the devil tries to tell you that you are not a child of God, use the Word on him. Tell him to get behind you. Your past is in the past. Leave it there and move forward. 

     So... do you know who you are?   Do you really know who you are?

     

What Will You Do With Jesus?

 "But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many." (Romans 5:15).


 "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ"  (Romans 5:17).


   When you purchase something from the store, it would be foolish to take it home and throw it in the trash.. It would not make any sense to toss it in the garbage immediately after purchasing it. After all, you have worked hard for your money, and you would not want to waste your money by purchasing something only to throw it away moments later.

     Have you ever given someone a gift and they didn't like it and either threw it away or gave it back to you telling you they didn't like it; and didn't want it?  I have, and it is not a good feeling that comes from giving a gift to someone who is ungrateful for your gift. It makes you not want to give them anything anymore.

     God gave us the very best gift He could give:  His Son, Jesus Christ. God knew that we were sinners and we were in desperate need of a Savior. He knew that we could not atone for our sins by ourselves. So, He sent His Son, Jesus; born as a baby to ransom, redeem and reconcile us to the Father. When Jesus was beaten with many stripes on his back, He paid for our healing. When He died on the cross, He paid for our salvation. He became our Peace. He became our Redeemer. He became our Savior. He became our Healer. He became anything and everything we would ever need. He did not have to pay such a high price for us. We were sinners; we had no good in us. We could not do good on our own. We were in need. God loved us so much, that He gave us His very best.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."  (John 3:16-17).

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

     What a beautiful thought this is! What a precious gift God gave us!!!  He didn't have to, but He loved us that much that He didn't want anyone to be lost. He wanted everyone to be saved. What a wonderful thought!   Jesus didn't have to come and die at the hands of angry, sinful men. He didn't have to pay the price for our sins. He didn't have to purchase our healing. We were sinners.  We didn't deserve it. Yet, He freely gives this gift to anyone who asks.  

      How many times have we pushed away this gift? How many times have we thrown it away and not accepted this sacrifice?  Have you been pushing Him away?  Have you ignored His gift?  Have you been uninterested in Jesus?  Today is the day to accept this gift. Open your heart and ask Jesus to come in. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and accept the gift of grace, mercy, salvation, peace, love, joy, and so much more. It's already paid for. It's yours for the asking.  Don't ignore Him any longer. We have no promise of another tomorrow. He's waiting for you.