June 2022 Mind of the Missionary

“ Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”    (Isaiah 64:8)

I must admit I’m not a craftsman, nor a mechanic, nor a handyman. I don’t know why. My father was able to fix or build anything. My brother did a pretty good job himself. I guess it skipped the oldest child. I know occasionally my father-in-law didn’t understand my ineptitude…“Anybody should be able to fix this or that!” Well, meet Mr. Inept! However, I do know how to call in the expert to fix or build that I cannot do.

The same is true concerning ourselves. We work, work, and work trying to do this or resolve this problem in our own lives without realizing that it is God, the Father, who is the Potter who shapes our lives. When we allow Him to work on us.

I recently heard a message from a pastor who used two of Jesus’ sayings – “apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5c) and “With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 b) His point was we, as God’s creation, can do nothing, only God can do His work. That sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Or Does it? For some reason, we like to give God a hand. Truly, it should be God’s hand guiding us!

This week, Claren and I got to meet our newest addition to the family – our great nephew. His mom and dad are learning what it means to be parents. They have the honor of shaping and molding the life of this little one. They will be sharing with him their Christian faith. Our great nephew is clay in their hands. During these first few years, whatever he believes will be what they believe until our nephew can begin to reason and to think for himself. What an awesome responsibility!

This is what God is doing with us. He wants to mold and shape us in His image. Listen again to the words of the great hymn:

Have Thine own way Lord
Have Thine own way
Thou art the potter I am the clay
Mold me and make me after Thy will
While I am waiting yielded and still”

May we allow the Lord to mold and make us after His will! However, we must be still for Him to work on us.

Until Next Month,

Bro. Lyle