3.19.25
Good morning!
Winter has passed and the time of Spring is upon us. The emergence of new life breaking forth from the cold hard ground, reaching up to the warmth of a new season (SoS. 2:10-15). Besides the temperature change, how do we know it's a new season? Because life, for many, is feeling more chaotic than ever...it must mean the Spring Feast season of the Lord is just around the corner (Lev. 23:2-4). It's true. Passover and Unleavened bread (Ex. 12; Lev. 23; 1 Cor. 5:6-8) are approaching rapidly. With Passover and Unleavened bread heading up God's Holy-days, it's a great time to recognize that this will be, once again, a transition time for all of us. I.e. experiencing an 'exodus' out of where we are or what we've been doing that has hindered our obedience to God's calling in our lives and moving towards the destiny that He has for each of us individually and collectively (the 1/2 shekel and full shekel).
In this week's Torah portion, Vayakhel/and he gathered (Ex. 35:1-38:20), we will be reintroduced to Bezaleel/in the image of God, the individual who is responsible for making and beautifying the Tabernacle (Ex. 35:30). Yes, beauty is an essential part of this time of year.
We have left the chaos of the golden calf, which God will never forget and the beauty of building the place where God will dwell (Ex. 25:8; 2 Cor. 5:1-4). With that being said, let's take a reality check...There’s a lot going on around the globe and in the world of my concentric circles. Which raises the age old question, 'How do we handle the frantic pace of life, the demands, the comparisons, the polarities created through the media, the challenges, the set backs, the victories, the fears, the desires, and the exhaustive list that we wish would stop going on and on!'
Let's review what you already know, but it would be wise to revisit :-)
The Psalmist, King David, used a potter’s term to help us put into action how to handle these life realities and allow the Potter to uniquely beautify each vessel within His dwelling place. It’s called ‘Be still and know that I am God (Psa. 46:10)’
When the Potter puts a piece of clay on a wheel, that clay is not very malleable. With His own energy He puts the stone wheel in motion. To the clay its ‘world’ feels like it's spinning out of control. The Potter places His hands on the clay to mold it, but the contact between the two is rough and resistant. The Potter is determined to take this clay and form it into a usable vessel for His purposes (2 Tim. 2:20; Ezra 6:5; 2 Cor. 4:7; Rom. 9:21-23; Jer. 18:5-10; etc.). Of necessity, He must add water to soften the clay. With the right amount of water added, the clay begins to settle into the warmth and strength of the Potter's Hands. Yes, the clay’s world is still spinning rapidly, but it doesn’t feel out of control any more. With the combination of His Hands, His Water, and the movement of His Wheel the clay begins to 'be still'.
As the clay vessel is formed upward and outward, in the Hand of the Potter, He reaches down into the center of the vessel to make a heart. Later on in Psalm 119, King David asks the Lord to enlarge his heart so that he can keep His commandments more and more (Psa. 119:32). The heart will vary in size depending on the individual's willingness and purpose of the vessel (Monday night's zoom call). The opening of that formed vessel is called the mouth, which will receive and dispense the contents coming in (Jer. 33:3; Deut. 4:7; 1 Kgs. 8:47-50; Isa. 55:6,7; 65:24; etc.). When the vessel is finished it’s placed into a kiln to fire and set into its permanent structure and purpose.
How do we handle the feeling that our world is spinning out of control and we just want to get off? Be still and know that He is God (Psa. 46:10)! Ask God to enlarge your heart so you can keep His commandments more (Psa. 119:32). If you’ve felt like you’ve failed at His calling, He knows how to restructure your vessel for His glory (Jer. 18). He knows how to create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit (Psa. 51:10). He knows how to take a vessel of wrath and make it into a vessel of honor (Rom. 9:21-23; 2 Tim. 2:20). He knows! Now, it's up to me to know Him (Phil. 3:10; Jn. 8:55; 1 Jn. 2:3,4).
Wherever you are today, feeling on top of it all or at the bottom of the barrel or overwhelmed by all that is spinning your world (Phil. 4:11-13) remember that within this earthen vessel of ours there is a beautiful treasure within (2 Cor. 4:7). It’s ready to be poured out to those around you! And in doing so, God/Yahweh Elohim will fill you back up to be used again (Prov. 11:25).
Happy 4th day of the week!
Passover is coming and so too is new life!
Shalom!
In this week's Torah portion, Vayakhel/and he gathered (Ex. 35:1-38:20), we will be reintroduced to Bezaleel/in the image of God, the individual who is responsible for making and beautifying the Tabernacle (Ex. 35:30). Yes, beauty is an essential part of this time of year.
We have left the chaos of the golden calf, which God will never forget and the beauty of building the place where God will dwell (Ex. 25:8; 2 Cor. 5:1-4). With that being said, let's take a reality check...There’s a lot going on around the globe and in the world of my concentric circles. Which raises the age old question, 'How do we handle the frantic pace of life, the demands, the comparisons, the polarities created through the media, the challenges, the set backs, the victories, the fears, the desires, and the exhaustive list that we wish would stop going on and on!'
Let's review what you already know, but it would be wise to revisit :-)
The Psalmist, King David, used a potter’s term to help us put into action how to handle these life realities and allow the Potter to uniquely beautify each vessel within His dwelling place. It’s called ‘Be still and know that I am God (Psa. 46:10)’
When the Potter puts a piece of clay on a wheel, that clay is not very malleable. With His own energy He puts the stone wheel in motion. To the clay its ‘world’ feels like it's spinning out of control. The Potter places His hands on the clay to mold it, but the contact between the two is rough and resistant. The Potter is determined to take this clay and form it into a usable vessel for His purposes (2 Tim. 2:20; Ezra 6:5; 2 Cor. 4:7; Rom. 9:21-23; Jer. 18:5-10; etc.). Of necessity, He must add water to soften the clay. With the right amount of water added, the clay begins to settle into the warmth and strength of the Potter's Hands. Yes, the clay’s world is still spinning rapidly, but it doesn’t feel out of control any more. With the combination of His Hands, His Water, and the movement of His Wheel the clay begins to 'be still'.
As the clay vessel is formed upward and outward, in the Hand of the Potter, He reaches down into the center of the vessel to make a heart. Later on in Psalm 119, King David asks the Lord to enlarge his heart so that he can keep His commandments more and more (Psa. 119:32). The heart will vary in size depending on the individual's willingness and purpose of the vessel (Monday night's zoom call). The opening of that formed vessel is called the mouth, which will receive and dispense the contents coming in (Jer. 33:3; Deut. 4:7; 1 Kgs. 8:47-50; Isa. 55:6,7; 65:24; etc.). When the vessel is finished it’s placed into a kiln to fire and set into its permanent structure and purpose.
How do we handle the feeling that our world is spinning out of control and we just want to get off? Be still and know that He is God (Psa. 46:10)! Ask God to enlarge your heart so you can keep His commandments more (Psa. 119:32). If you’ve felt like you’ve failed at His calling, He knows how to restructure your vessel for His glory (Jer. 18). He knows how to create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit (Psa. 51:10). He knows how to take a vessel of wrath and make it into a vessel of honor (Rom. 9:21-23; 2 Tim. 2:20). He knows! Now, it's up to me to know Him (Phil. 3:10; Jn. 8:55; 1 Jn. 2:3,4).
Wherever you are today, feeling on top of it all or at the bottom of the barrel or overwhelmed by all that is spinning your world (Phil. 4:11-13) remember that within this earthen vessel of ours there is a beautiful treasure within (2 Cor. 4:7). It’s ready to be poured out to those around you! And in doing so, God/Yahweh Elohim will fill you back up to be used again (Prov. 11:25).
Happy 4th day of the week!
Passover is coming and so too is new life!
Shalom!
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