Although I loved God deeply my relationship with Him wasn't as strong as my love for Him. I found myself going through trial after trial and it seemed that no matter how hard I tried, no matter how good of a person I thought I was it seemed hard times remained on my door step. Eventually I began to believe that God loved everyone but me. I began to believe that I must have done something so bad in my lifetime that He could never forgive me. This only came about after years of trying to worship God the way others did, craving and feeding off of those who I admired, yet I just didn't feel that awe shattering love everyone so deeply spoke of. Why? The only conclusion was God hates me.
It wasn't until well into my adult years that I shared my pain with my mother. A woman who had raised us to know God. A woman who loves God passionately. I could see the pain in her eyes as I told her and not just a pain for me but a pain for her God that His child could think that He hated her.
It was something she said that stayed with me from then on out and I began to understand that God doesn't hate me.
Yesterday we spoke about appreciating the trials we go through because they build us up for God's glory. Today I want to talk about the Potter.
A potter takes clay and with wet hands he refines it, molds it, shapes it, and when it's just like the creator wants it, the potter then bakes it, shines it and then the clay is now a beautiful piece of art work. Isaiah 64:8 says,
"Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."
The Lord sent Jeremiah a message and told Jeremiah, "Go down to the potters house." Jeremiah talks about how he went and he saw the potter molding and shaping the clay, when the clay had something wrong with it, the potter started all over again, until he got the clay exactly as he wanted it. The Lord told Jeremiah,
"Family of Israel, you know that I can do the same thing with you. You are like the clay in the potter's hands, and I am the potter. There may come a time when I will speak about a nation or a kingdom that I will pull up by its roots or tear down and destroy it. But if the people of that nation change their hearts and lives and stop doing evil things, I will change my mind and not bring on them disaster I planned. There may come another time when I speak about a nation that I will build up or plant. But if I see that nation doing evil things and not obeying me, I will think again about the good I had planned to do for them.(Jeremiah 18:6-10)
The Lord goes on to say, " I am the potter preparing troubles for you and making plans against you. So stop doing the evil things you are doing. Each person must change and start doing good." (Jeremiah 18: 11)
What if we looked at our lives in this context. God is shaping us, every time we step away from Him, when we turn our backs away from His plans for our live, He begins again. He, like a potter, wants us to shine in His glory. A potter proudly displays his work and so to does the Lord want to boast about you. But when we turn from Him our trials become like cracks in the clay, and the potter must start again. What's the difference between God and a potter? Imagine if you took a pottery class. You're working and molding and just when you have it almost ready to be refined, the clay pot collapses and you must begin again. How frustrating that would be for us! Yet, God, in all His grace and mercy, doesn't become frustrated. He loves us so much and He continues to work on us, smiling, humming hymns, (or country music! ha!) and keeps on working until He has us just right and ready to be refined. How awesome is that!!!
Think about your life, what is in your life that is causing you to fall and God to restart? Are you following God or the world. God doesn't hate us, He loves us more than we can ever imagine, when we cry, He cries, when we laugh, He laughs. I encourage you, if you are facing trials, to reach out to God today, ask Him to mold you and make you, ask Him to show you areas of your life that are displeasing to Him. When and only when we become one with God and allow Him to mold us, can we become who He created us to be. You don't have to go through hard times. You don't have to cry yourself to sleep, you don't have to take another drink. Our Father wants to give you all His riches and glory. Not our will Father but Yours!!
I pray who ever is reading this finds comfort in their circumstances, Father. I pray for those who are struggling and feeling just as I did, that we are unloved. Lord, we know those thoughts are not from you but from the enemy. We know the enemy is the father of lies and we know, Lord that he wants to steal and rob of us of the glory you want to rain upon us. Father, I lift every hurting heart to you Lord, I pray that if there is someone is reading this and doesn't know you that they will reach out to build that relationship with you, Father. Father I pray for hurting hearts, for wounded souls, for crying eyes, and for those who are hurting emotionally. I speak your word over them, Lord and praise you for the miracles you are working! In Christ precious name I pray, Amen!
If you don't know Christ and wish to get to know Him more, I invite you to talk to me today and I would be honored to show you what a relationship with Christ is like. God bless! and remember, God doesn't hate you!!
Blessings
Gail
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