February 17, 2022
Good Morning Yahweh! It’s a new day and I will choose to celebrate each new day. It’s interesting though, when you have made a promise that has a time attached, you (by you, I mean me, lol) know that at least that much time is attached to life. But the thing is, it can become so easy to take days for granted, to take your promises for granted. To take you for granted and if nothing else I’ve learned is that taking something for granted is a sure fire way to lose it. Even if not actually lost, it’s significance in my life can be lost, which would mean I wouldn’t care about it. And I won’t put the time/effort needed for us to grow. I don’t want to take us for granted, that because you are always there, that I can do whatever and expect it would be okay. Newsflash!! It won’t. I would be an anxious, neurotic, depressed insomniac. You would be grieving. I’ve gone down that road already, I truly don’t want to go down it again.
Thank you Yahweh for not turning away from me, during the times I turn from you. Thank you for still choosing me, for still desiring what is best for me and working towards drawing me to you. You are the only living God and your love is beyond incredible. Thank you for loving me! Today Yahweh, I look to you for provision, strength, healing. The parts of me that are still hiding, that still needs your correction, please reveal and heal.
Lol and thank you for the reminder that everything takes time. Your time. Sigh. I still like to rush, but I’m learning to slow down and I realise the pace is not for you, but it’s for me.
Jeremiah 18:3,4 – I went to the potter’s house, and he was working there at his wheel. Whenever a clay pot he was working on was ruined he would work it into a new clay pot the way he wanted to make it.
Isaiah 64:8 – But now, Lord, you are our father. We are the clay, and you are our potter. We are the work of your hands.
This is one of the most popular analogies in your word, but you just give me this image again, to remind me of who/what I am to you or rather in your hands. It’s not just about the shaping – it’s about the speed of the shaping. A potter uses various speeds when making a vessel. The speed at which the wheel spins determines whether the clay is centred. The speed determines how much is trimmed off also. It’s interesting that throwing pottery (while giving the visual in our time of something being thrown at the pottery or even something thrown away) really means to twist, to turn, to propel. And Yahweh is truly doing that in my life. He’s shaping, twisting me, (though twisting does sound painful) and you know what? It is. It’s not a cakewalk sometimes to make the changes necessary to be the vessel that Yahweh wants. It’s painful, but in the end? Totally worth it.
He propels me. See now this is interesting. Propel’s modern definition is to drive or push something forward. He is without a doubt doing that: he is pushing me forward (sometimes I wonder how you don’t get tired but I am thankful that you don’t). And yet another image showing that we can do nothing on our own. Can the clay shape itself? Spin the wheel? Nope.
But the archiac meaning for propel was to expel, drive out. I would like to think that as we are being pushed forward, the things that aren’t wanted have been expelled. It’s been removed, truly shaping us into the image he desires of us.
And then there is trimming (I feel like I just took a miniature pottery class. But I’m recognizing more and more each day that when you use something, an image or concept, it’s for a reason and it’s best to understand why. Which gives a deeper understanding of why you do and how you do what you do). Trimming doesn’t happen throughout the initial shaping. By definition (well, at least the recommended rule), “As soon as the pot is stiff enough to work on without it becoming distorted or damaged.” After taking the time at the correct/necessary speed, Yahweh then has to trim off anything that is not of him. And he has to do it at the right time so that we would not be damaged or distorted. If the clay is too soft and not yet beginning to harden, the bottom support can be completely trimmed away. If it gets too hard it will crack. But Yahweh is a master and knows exactly when to do this.
But the other thing that really struck me with this, he is investing in me. His time, his tools, his vision, his skills. Yahweh is investing in me, into who he wants me to be. No one invests in something without having an interest in it or wanting it to turn out bad. Everyone wants an investment to yield returns. Yahweh thank you for investing in me. For taking the time to shape me, to trim me, to propel me. Some parts may not be fun, but the end result would be awesome.
Romans 9:21 – A potter has the right to do whatever he wants with his clay. He can make something for a special occasion or something for everyday use from the same lump of clay.
But whether it is for a special occasion or everyday use, The vessel still has a purpose. There is something that it was created to do. Yahweh, honestly I’m not sure what my purpose is. And it may be that I’m thinking too small as to what “purpose” is. I tend to visualise purpose as a singular task that I’m called to do or made to do. But maybe it’s not as regimented as that. Maybe my purpose changes based on the season that I am in. Maybe today I would be used to carry water and tomorrow I would be used to display flowers. The next day I’m used to serve stew (stew? Why stew and not food? I don’t think I’ve ever even had stew). Or I may be used as a doorstop (Lol. Yeah that image was coming through strong), but I don’t determine how I’m used and for how long I am used for that purpose. Yahweh, help me to move/be moved in my purpose in this season and every season. To allow myself to be shaped and moulded and used as you desire.
Doorstop
Doorstop: an object or device used to hold a door open or close or to prevent a door from opening too widely.
I don’t know why the door stop image came so strongly to mind, but it did. So Yahweh, I will take note and allow you to use me as you desire.
Thank you Yahweh for what you have done in my life, for shaping me and creating me. Trimming me so that I can be used for your purpose. Purpose can change in a season and I need to remember that. Thank you Yahweh, this piece of clay is grateful and loves you. 🙂
Love Your Neighbour
Love your neighbour as you love yourself. Growing up, I always heard this from the church:
Love God
Love others
Love yourself
But this is impossible and when done creates a very precarious, uneven triangle that will crumble. It will crash and it will crash on what is on the bottom.
The truth is, in order to truly love others you have to love yourself. Now you can fake the love for others for a while, but it will come crashing down. But what is unfortunately always evident? When someone hates themselves. It becomes obvious in the way they treat those around. The “love others” above self is precarious. The “hate self” is disastrous and the sad thing is they may not realise how much they hate themselves.
We often see in others what we embody or think on. It’s easier to see the kindness in others when that’s the way we operate. But if your go-to is to plan vengeance against every action, then it’s easy to assume that someone is planning such against you because that is what you would do.
Yahweh, help us to love you (because you love us). Help us to love ourselves and to be shaped as you desire. Then help us to love others.
Everyday I see you using everything around me to shape me and to confirm aspects in my life. There’s a sermon that I’ve had on my “to listen list” for a couple weeks, but almost every time, I ended up listening to something else or nothing at all. This morning, you said, “Today is the day.” And you confirmed everything you have given me in the spirit this morning, right down to the word shape. Yahweh, thank you for speaking into my life. Thank you for shaping and for leading – for being such an awesome God. With my heart I will praise you, with my mouth I will worship you. With all that I am, I will give you the glory. Thank you for who you are!
Change in Me
This morning leaving home was bittersweet. Mom said to Me, “you can’t wear that top anymore. It’s too baggy and it makes you look older.” (Shameface). The thing is I’m really trying not to buy any clothes right now.
SIDEBAR: Two years ago, I made a promise not to buy any clothes for a year. It was hard at first, but by the time the year was up, it took about 3 months after the year was up, before I bought anything. Since then, I’ve only purchased six other items of clothes. And writing this now, made me recognize that Yahweh was preparing me for the discipline I needed to fully develop in order to walk this walk with him.
But that top is one of my favourites!! And I’m sad to see it go, but also happy because of the reason it had to go. Yahweh, thank you for working in me. For shaping me: mentally, spiritually, physically. Thank you.
I pray that as I get to work: that what I do and say would be shaped by you. I love you.
