Broken Pieces

Jeremiah 23:29 

“ Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD, “ And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Today another chunk of my hardened heart was broken into pieces by the hammer of the Lord. His word is truly like a fire, burning through the impurities that linger in this stubborn heart.

I must confess that I have been doing a few things at the work place that are not in agreement with company policy, and these compromises have been creating within me a bit of anxiety and guilt. Today I got caught in one of them. Ephesians 5: 8-11 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

My rationale has been, everybody else does it, what is the big deal. Well the big deal is that the company says not to do it! Hmm, so they are the ones that hired me and they are the ones that can fire me.  They are the ones that pay me, and they own the business, not me. They make the rules, and I am supposed to follow them, whether I agree with them or do not agree with them.

So I took the write up like a grown-up. I didn't make excuses, and I didn't blame anybody else for what I did wrong, even though I may have wanted to just a little. I came home, a little upset but humbled, and knew that I had to go to the Lord about it because when all is said and done, He truly is the Boss, the Owner of the Company, the Owner of this life. 

The lesson that I learned is this... fear God and honor the King by doing what is right in His eye, not with what is right in your coworkers eye. Submit to His authority in my life, and submit to the authority that He puts before me in the workplace, in church leadership, in ministry work, in family, in friendships, in our government leadership and all that I may have forgotten. 

It is all in His control and power and He is coming back for us soon, so let us not forget to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies and to allow Him to be glorified in these marred pots. 

The Potter and the Clay

Jeremiah 18: 1-11

The Potter and the Clay

The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” 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. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it. “Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.”’”

Where do I start and how do I explain? I lost faith in God. I made Him small and everyone and everything around me big. I started to believe all of the lies that were racing through my mind, and my heart became so discouraged that I couldn't see anything except everything that I didn't have. 

In the past, before Jesus became my life, my motto had always been when things get tuff, run away and don't look back, and the more distance the better. Recently, everything around me seemed to be caving in and consuming me, and I lost sight of the truth, Jesus, and started to sink. So that is exactly what I did, I ran away from God and the people that I love the most.

This time was different though, God wouldn't let me run! He pursued me and showed me that His promises are true, and when He said that He will never leave me nor forsake me, He meant it for eternity. He told me that nothing can separate me from His love, no weapon formed against me shall prosper, and he will sustain me on my sickbed and restore me from my bed of illness. Praise God!

So that is the beginning to the story behind the marred pot. More to come. I hope that this blog will bring about healing to others as I share how the Lord is reshaping this marred pot.

In His love,

ALF