victoriousinfaith.net

Introduction:

This is a place designed to inspire, encourage, and even provoke you in your own personal relationship with Jesus. The words that I share on here come from my own life experiences, plus personal moments of devotion and prayer when at times God has inspired me to write down the challenges and things he has taught me and/or trials he has brought me through.  My prayer is that the words you read on here will be a blessing to your life and will also uplift your faith in a very real God and father who loves and cares deeply about you and that you will discover or renew your own personal relationship with him as I have found with him also.

Recently, I was inspired while sitting in church listening to the preaching, to begin sharing the things God has given me over the past ten years.  They have been so neatly tucked away in a file on my personal computer, but have never been allowed to be put out on display for others to read and be encouraged by.  I felt God tugging at my heart, it is time to unveil them and let my light shine for the world to know the great testimonies he has done in my life.  In a world where the internet is used for so much negativity, why not let God moments in my life be used for a positive outlook and possibly help someone else going through similar situations and be encouraged.  I hope you will join me in this new journey of opening and sharing the testimonies the Lord has personally given to me.

“Vessels Fit for A King”

A few years ago, I came across some pieces of art in a country store filled with crafts of different tastes and designs.  Only this one was unique in a way that five or six pieces of china were stacked one upon the other, all different designs and colors placed upright and upside down to make a piece of art to talk about.  The next morning I awoke with this thought…  Life is like vessels of different colors, shapes, and sizes, stacked one upon the other.  All of which take on an intricate form of design, uniquely fit together to make an interesting piece of art.  One might be a teapot, another a saucer, then a cup, and the stack of different pieces continues to grow as each piece comes together, each one different but beautiful in its own way.  I believe God kind of works like that too in our life.  He as the designer who fits each one together to make a picture of delight and then he adds the finishing gloss.  All we can do is stand back and remark in wonderment, “how did he do that?” If it were up to us and we had all those pieces we would have said “no, that doesn’t match, the color is not perfect enough, or that one has a chip in it, it’s of no use to me”.  God doesn’t work like that though, he takes all our cracks, chips, etc. and manifests his love by carefully and intricately forming a creation beyond anything this world could imagine it could ever have become.  We are vessels that he desires to use in His most intricate plan and design.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.  2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV

 However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.  2 Corinthians 4:7 Amplified Bible

 We possess this great treasure not because of anything we have done to deserve it, but because God desired to place His treasure in us.  As we study the word of God, his treasure is being defined in us.  When we receive the Holy Ghost, the treasure of Himself is placed as a gift inside of our hearts.  Though we are but an earthen vessel, possibly an imperfect cracked pot, He comes along scoping out the different pieces on the dusty shelf filled with discarded vessels to be thought of no good use; he hand picks us out and says this pot has great purpose I can use this one in my next design.  So, begins the process of cleaning and beautifying what one might have thought as ugly and no good; only to begin to see the glorious shine of the Father’s face reflecting in his precious vessel as it takes on the resemblance of Himself when this vessel is filled with His treasure.

Sometimes, I have heard people use the expression that God loves and accepts us as we are.  There is truth in this, he does take us as we are, when we come to him with a repentant heart and are baptized in his precious name and then filled with his spirit.  What many fail to realize is that, as he does this and begins to live inside of us, he also begins to clean and beautify us according to his will and way so that one day he can see his reflection inside of us.  Many assume that if he accepts us as we are then they don’t have to change anything and can keep living and doing the same things and even going to the same places they have always gone to and still be accepted by God and get into heaven.  But I ask you, how can he see his reflection in us if we keep smudging our face or life so to speak with the dirt of sin?  Once we have been washed in water baptism by the blood of the Lamb and are made clean, we must continue to keep clean.  We can do this with repentance daily and seeking his word for guidance to live right.  I would encourage you to read all of Psalm 51 where we find a beautiful prayer of repentance and even implications of causing others to turn their hearts towards God after doing so ourselves.

David prayed this prayer that I have also found to be dear to my heart.  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.   Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.  Psalm 51:10-12 KJV

We also must take steps to turn away from our old way of living and walk in the newness of life in Christ Jesus.  When we come to Christ we are like a new baby, but as we grow in him and begin to study his word and as we attend church and hear the teaching of the word of God, he desires for us to also mature in our ways, thinking, and living.  So that the old man/woman that we used to be is transformed into what God desires us to become.  He loved us so much he didn’t want us to stay the same as when we first came to him.  He helps us to grow to a place where we have separated ourselves from the world, while also at the same time separating ourselves unto himself.

Just like the beautiful vessels I saw that were placed together, it took a master designer to see the potential in them and then place them together to make a beautiful and intricate design.  When the designer found them they didn’t appear to be the most beautiful pieces though.  Instead, the designer had to work with them gently and carefully over time to make them into the stunning creation like I saw sitting in the shop that day.  God our savior also works with us just as gently and even more carefully refining us till we do become a new creature in him.  He transforms us by the renewing of our minds so that the old ways of thinking are replaced with what God wants us to think.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  Romans 12:2 KJV

He does this so we can identify with him and others can also identify that we are Christ’s and not the same as we used to be.  It may take time to smooth the rough edges of our thinking into his, but oh the blessings that follow when we discover his ways are better than our own and follow them according to his Word and not our own, nor the world’s ideals of how we should live.  I am so thankful God is still working on me.