BY THE WAY OF THE CROSS: February 2009

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Jeremiah 18:3-4

The same way that the potter took the marred vessel and turned into something good is the same as what God does to us when He saves us from our sins. Just as the first vessel the potter created, I was marred before I came into the saving grace of God. I personally, find it awesome to look back and see some of the things God has changed about me and some of the stuff that he is still changing. When you step back and look at your life, it is wonderful to see how He has changed the molding from the day He saved us to what we are now.

On the other side of that, if we cannot see the changes in ourselves from that time of conversion then we should step back and see why. God is our potter and if we are going to profess Him as the Lord of our lives we should be able to show a before and after of that. I whole-heartedly believe that there has to be a change in our mold. He uses the same clay but molds us into what He wants us to be. If there would be no reason for a change in us than there would be no reason for Him to extend grace to us. The most remarkable thing of all is the fact that God can take the broken man that I am and turn me into something beautiful in His eyes.

more music

became addicted to this song this week

Monday, February 16, 2009

no excuses

Then I said, “Ah Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth.’ for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whenever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 1:6-8

I will admit that when it has come to me sharing my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ I have used the excuse of not knowing what to say. I always found it convenient to use the fact that I was still a young Christian and was not ready to witness. The truth was that one real reason for my lack of witness was the fear of what the reply would be from the other person. Not until recently have I come to understand fully that I have been prepared to witness from the day God saved me. I have no excuse for not sharing what Christ has done for me in my life from the day He saved me out of my sins and placed me into Him.

Just as Jeremiah does in these verses, we try to make excuses for why we cannot do what God has told us to do. Thankfully, the statement that God makes to him also applies to us today. We cannot hide behind the excuses of not being mature enough in our faith or not knowing what words to say because God has covered that for us. The minute that He changed us, we immediately have the words to say because they are the same words that changed us and we are just mature enough to be telling everyone what He has done to change our hearts. When we fear what people might say or how they may react the same promise that God gives to Jeremiah He also gives to us. No matter what someone says to us or how they may react physically, God promises to deliver us away from that and He always fulfills His promises.

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