Paul the Apostle is always such an inspiring individual to me. To think today of someone being stoned to death and surviving, let alone to be beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, stoned and so on, and survive with a positive attitude ...WOW!
II Corinthians 4:7-15 "7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”[b] Since we have that same spirit of[c] faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God."
The analogy of the clay pot here is perfect for what we go through as Christians who are seeking to grow closer to God. That lump of clay is softened by kneading it and mashing it and contorting it to get the air pockets out. All the empty spots are removed and filled in with dense body. Freshly harvested clay is pushed through screens to remove any small stones or other debris that might be in it. If they were to shape a clay pot and then cure it in the kiln any debris would heat up and cause cracks or even cause an explosion destroying the pot. A potter takes that clay and presses and contorts the vessel until it looks like what he wants or how he pictures that clay to be. Our heavenly Father puts us through tests and trials, molds us, makes us into what He envisions us to be. Like a true potter, He never sees the clay for the shapeless lump that it starts out to be. He sees us for what we will be in our final state, living in Glory with Him and covered in Jesus blood.
Verse 9 says "persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." He never leaves us just sitting on the table to dry out. He makes every effort to shape us into acontributing and usable vessel. What is it that shapes is? Trials and trouble are part of one of those things. Blessings are others. We often look at the trials and tribulations of life as the things that are shaping us but God often changes and molds us with blessings as well. Do we remember more of the negative experiences we go through or the positive ones? I am afraid that we often see more of the down side than the up side. Our blessings like children, sunsets, animal shpaes int he clouds, the first blooms of spring, a cool kiss on a warm forehead, a tender look, a genuine embrace, the gift of laughter, and even the twinkle of an eye are blessings we can see every day if we want to and they make us who we are.
Be flexible. Be moldable. Become a vessel.
Showing posts with label patience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label patience. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
John 17 Part II
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
"Worship God"
Christ focuses only on God in His prayer. He is consistently referring to how He and the Father are joined and how the Father has given Him this and that and reminding the Father of what has happened and asking for other things to occur so that God the Father might be glorified further. What an example of submissive, focused prayer.
Christ mentions that we are getting to know God through himself as well. We cannot commune with or know God without the access granted through Christ. He himself is beseeching God to allow us communion but only after we know Him. The knowledge of God's love for His Son is a necessary component for Christ to live in us. Without the knowledge of God's love, how can we realize how much He loves us and what a sacrifice it was for God to give His Son to pay for our sins. Amazing!
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
"Worship God"
Christ focuses only on God in His prayer. He is consistently referring to how He and the Father are joined and how the Father has given Him this and that and reminding the Father of what has happened and asking for other things to occur so that God the Father might be glorified further. What an example of submissive, focused prayer.
Christ mentions that we are getting to know God through himself as well. We cannot commune with or know God without the access granted through Christ. He himself is beseeching God to allow us communion but only after we know Him. The knowledge of God's love for His Son is a necessary component for Christ to live in us. Without the knowledge of God's love, how can we realize how much He loves us and what a sacrifice it was for God to give His Son to pay for our sins. Amazing!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
LOVE
February is the month we celebrate those we love. Lovers, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives, best friends.....you name it, if we love it we celebrate it this month. Candy, flowers, chocolate, jewlery, cards, fancy dinners and the list goes on. What part of the celebration that we obsess over do we find the characteristic of love as listed in the Love Chapter, I Corinthians 13?
The very first complete sentence in this chapter is "Love is patient." Not love is patient if or love is patient when. Simply, Love is patient. Period. No excuses or prerequisits. How well do you follow this simple statement? I know, for myself, that I don't follow it as well as I should. That's for sure. And that counts for every loved aspect of my life. Daughter, husband, dogs, friends, family, you name it.
Why would that be the first statement on the list? Before selfishness, envy, jealousy and so on. Amazing isn't it? Or maybe it's not very amazing at all. God knew the nature of the beast He created and knew that above all else we would need to be so very careful, sensitive, understanding and PATIENT! It really will make you stop and think for a moment when you are about to loose your cool and you think.....this person is driving me CRAZY! Take a deep breath, look to the Lord and be still in your heart while you let Christ take over.
The very first complete sentence in this chapter is "Love is patient." Not love is patient if or love is patient when. Simply, Love is patient. Period. No excuses or prerequisits. How well do you follow this simple statement? I know, for myself, that I don't follow it as well as I should. That's for sure. And that counts for every loved aspect of my life. Daughter, husband, dogs, friends, family, you name it.
Why would that be the first statement on the list? Before selfishness, envy, jealousy and so on. Amazing isn't it? Or maybe it's not very amazing at all. God knew the nature of the beast He created and knew that above all else we would need to be so very careful, sensitive, understanding and PATIENT! It really will make you stop and think for a moment when you are about to loose your cool and you think.....this person is driving me CRAZY! Take a deep breath, look to the Lord and be still in your heart while you let Christ take over.
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