Clay in the Hands

Monday’s are normally busy days for most of us.  We have an entire week in front of us with lots of appointments, tasks and things to get done.

But what if we started this week a little differently?  What if we started this week with a realization that God is in control?  What if we started this week with being still?

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

I want to encourage you, no matter the time of day or even the day of the week in which you are reading this, stop.

Pause right here and be still before God.  Know that God is present.  Know that God cares for you.  Know that God is in control.

Be still.

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Today, as I waited on my youngest to finish cross country practice, I listened to the Pray-As-You-Go devotional podcast.

The scripture reading was familiar from the Gospel of Luke chapter 2.  You can read it here.

As I listened to these words read, I pictured Simeon in the temple, meeting Jesus, the Messiah, as an infant.  I thought about the overwhelming joy he must have felt – the wonder and amazement that the chosen One of God was in his very arms.

In the translation read on the podcast, the word “amazed” was used to describe the reaction of Joseph and Mary at what they were hearing about Jesus.

Then the question came from the guide, “Are you amazed by Jesus?”

That question has been lingering in my mind ever since.

As I have thought about that question, there are many things that have come to mind as to the amazement I feel because of Jesus.

The most amazing thing is that he has called me out – that he chose me and gave me a new life – I would be wandering through life with no direction and no purpose if not for Jesus’ amazing and magnificent grace!

What about you – do you find Jesus amazing?

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Yesterday morning I went out to my car to head to church.  I had a meeting at 9 and I was on schedule to be early.  I got in the car and the battery was dead.  So I pulled my wife’s car around to give my car a jump.  My car started right up so I removed the cables, pulled my wife’s car back into its spot and got behind the wheel of my car to head to my meeting.

As I pulled out of the driveway, I noticed a new warning light I had never seen before.  It said, Reduced Engine Power.  I had no idea what that meant (other than the obvious) so I looked in the manual.  The manual told me that it is a safety measure the engine is programed to perform when the car is over heating.  Of course my car had been sitting for over 12 hours so I knew that could not be the problem.  Under that explanation was another that said, it could just be that the sensor telling the motor that it was overheating could be faulty.  That made more sense.  So I headed off to my meeting with Reduced Engine Power.

What I did not know was that Reduced Engine Power translated into Reduced Engine Speed.  I think I topped out at 7 miles per hour!  I was nearly late to my meeting.  In fact, at one point it dawned on me that I could walk faster than my car was moving.  But at least I was creeping along in the right direction.

As I have reflected on that experience, it has caused me to think about my spiritual progression and the speed in which I progress as well as the power it takes to get there (more on the power idea tomorrow).  We talked about that subject last week.  We often get in a hurry to get where we are going.  We easily grow impatient and think we will never “arrive.”  We need to remember that where we are headed is much more important than how fast we get there.  I have heard it said, “I have no idea where we are headed but at least we’re making good time.”  Where we are headed should be the bigger concern.  If we are a followers of the Way, then as long as our focus is on becoming more like Jesus and pleasing God, then the time it takes to get there is not nearly as important.

God knows that as humans, we will never be Jesus, so I believe God is not so concerned about whether or not you and I “arrive.”  God is ultimately concerned about who we become.

So today, make sure you are headed in the right direction but don’t panic if you don’t arrive by lunch time.

Be blessed today!

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On the way to the office this morning, I had the radio on (as usual) and heard a familiar song from @Manafest called Avalanche.  I had heard the song before, in fact, I have it on my iPod.  But for some reason, it struck a chord with me today.

The song speaks to a condition I am sure we can all relate to – that of being the prodigal child of God.  The words that caught my ear today were these, “Cause I’m the prodigal man of this avalanche, I’m going down, I’m going down, down.”

I suppose the reason these lines hit me is because I can relate them to times in my life when I have allowed my relationship with Jesus to stagnate and have felt the hopelessness of being all alone with little hope.

But the song moves the listener to hope with these lines, “Watched you chase a man down, watched you raise a man out, mercy on me, forever I’m free.”

I am reminded that regardless of how far I roam or wander, God actually pursues me and is there to offer mercy and grace and welcome me home into a renewed relationship.

Maybe today, things for you are great – your relationship with Jesus is just as it should be – if so, wonderful, file these thoughts for later use.

But perhaps today this song describes you.  Maybe today you feel caught in an avalanche of life, sliding farther away from where you want to be with little control or ability to stop it.  If that is you – take heart – Jesus wants to lift you out.

That is the wonder and beauty of mercy and grace.  It’s never too late to turn back to Jesus.

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I don’t know about you but every once in a while I allow myself to become overwhelmed with all the things going on in my life – tasks at work, projects at home, car problems, etc.

It is easy to feel like I’m drowning.  This passage helped me today.  I encourage you to link to it and let it wash over you and fill your soul as it has done mine today.

If you need breathing room for your soul – let God be that for you today.

Have a blessed day.

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