Hammer on Anvil '

I have been meditating recently on 1 Samuel 15. Samuel the prophet tells King Saul that God wants
him to attack the evil Amalekites for how they treated Israel. The word from the Lord is clear; Saul is to totally destroy them. Women, children, cattle sheep -- "anything that belongs to them" (vs. 3).

Saul was not obedient, though. Thinking he knew better than God, he spared "the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs -- everything that was good." He also spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites. But "everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed" (vs. 9).

The word of the Lord came immediately to Samuel, and it was not a gentle word. God was angry, and said He regretted making Saul king. When Samuel confronted Saul about his disobedience, Saul assured Samuel that he did obey, and he only kept the "best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God."

Ah, we humans are masters of backpedaling, aren't we? When confronted with our sin, we sometimes make excuses to rationalize why we did what we did -- or didn't do what we were supposed to do. We act as if God should settle for partial obedience.

Samuel then had the difficult job of communicating God's judgment to Saul:

Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.

Ouch. I wonder if Saul thought to himself, Geez, one little mistake and I get dethroned? I've never been dethroned (except from my pride), but I have certainly been in Saul's position, where God called me on something and I tried to make excuses.

The thing Saul forgot is that God is God, as Samuel reminds him in verse 29: "He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind." In other words, God didn't change His plan to destroy the Amalekites simply because Saul decided to wing it and make a few alterations. That's call sin, my friends.

And to make it worse, Saul then pretended that he only did what he did so that he would have the choicest animals to sacrifice to God. Have you ever done that? Have you ever sinned, but tried to justify it as somehow righteous behavior?

For example, someone may boast, "I just say the first thing that comes to my mind. I speak the truth, and that's just how I am." Never mind the fact that their mouth is like a loose cannon, and leaves destruction in its wake. They conveniently forget God's warnings about the power of life and death being in the tongue. In other words, they are doing what Saul did -- their sin is obvious to everyone else, but they justify it as righteous because they are "only speaking the truth."

Another person may swear up and down that they have forgiven someone who offended them. Yet when the two happen to bump into each other in a public setting, it is painfully obvious that a grudge is still being nursed. If you try to gently confront your brother or sister about their lack of forgiveness, you may hear something like, "I told God I forgave that person; it doesn't mean I have to be civil to them." In their minds they are righteous, but they are still clinging tightly to their perceived "right" to be unfriendly and standoffish.

I am guilty in both of these scenarios, and probably a host of others. I am learning to not try to justify my sin, but to do as David did when Nathan the prophet exposed his sin with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 12. He said very simply, "I have sinned against the Lord." Period.

Remember, my dear friends, we are called to live our lives according to God's standard for us, not according to what the world dictates, and not according to what we might see others doing. The next time you are tempted to rationalize your sin, spend some time in worship. As you stand naked before a holy, righteous God, you will come face-to-face with the gravity of your sin. You will also come face-to-face with a God who loves you and will forgive you, and whose Spirit empowers you to live victoriously over sin every day. Remember, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is alive in YOU!

"You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you" (2 Chronicles 20:17).

I love Jehoshaphat. Though mention is made of him as early as the Book of 2 Samuel, we really get to know him in 1 Kings 22, where we learn he is the king of Judah. He visits the king of Israel, who is distraught that "Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria” (verse 3). The king of Israel enlists Jehoshaphat to help him, and the first piece of advice Jehoshaphat gives him is to “Inquire first for the word of the Lord" (verse 5). Wise man. It is always best to seek the Lord, no matter what sort of battle you are facing.

The more familiar passage of Jehoshaphat is in 2 Chronicles 20, where the Moabites and Ammonites are coming against Jehoshaphat. It was a vast army, and Jehoshaphat admittedly was scared. But once again, his first response is to seek the Lord. He even proclaimed a fast throughout all of Judah. As the people fasted and prayed, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, and he spoke this word of hope to the entire assembly:

Thus says the Lord to you, "Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in the battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf."

Now that's an encouraging word from the Lord when you're facing an insidious enemy who looks way bigger than you, and you know that you are helpless in your own strength. Much like when Gandalf faced Balrog in "Lord of the Rings."



Though I can't post a video because of copyright restrictions, here's what happens: Gandalf first ensures that Frodo and the gang are all safe, and then stands between his friends and the terrifying Balrog. When Balrog threatens to cross over the bridge, Gandalf holds his position tenaciously (as we are instructed to do in 2 Chronicles 20:17) and ultimately does battle with the formidable beast.

When I first saw that movie, I got what a friend of mine used to call "Holy Ghost goosebumps." It was such a powerful portrayal of spiritual warfare, and I wasn't expecting to see something so biblical come out of Hollywood (Tolkien, yes, but Hollywood, no).

You see, my friends, this is how our God does battle for us. We need to remember that the war is already won, thanks to the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. No matter how desperate things may seem, the reality is that nobody can throw anything at us that can change what Jesus has done for us. This world is not our home, friends -- and sometimes we need to cling tightly to that hope when the world gets very dark and hateful. Even if we face death, that only means we will be in the presence of our Savior!

If you are up against a Balrog in your life right now, seek the Lord's counsel. Then "Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord."

Recently God has been showing me how I have treated my relationship with Him like a contract. "Okay God, I'll get up at 5 a.m. to pray and read the Bible. YOUR part is to ________." I expected God to come through and fulfill His part of the bargain based on whether I performed certain spiritual disciplines. In short, I was telling the Creator of the universe how to do His job.


What gall! How could I treat what should be a cherished Father/child relationship as if it were a business deal? And oh, if God violated the terms of the contract, He would have some explaining to do!

I have struggled for consistency in my spiritual walk for as long as I can remember. I was constantly on the lookout for clues/solutions that would suddenly zap me into the model Christian I longed to be. "Oh, if just do this-or-that, or have this-or-that experience, I'll finally be changed!"

But notice where the focus is in these statements? It's on ME. It was all about something I could do in order to get into God's good graces. Isn't that called a works mentality?

Yes, that's exactly what it is. Much like I used to "perform" for my earthly parents in hopes that they would accept and love me, I was doing things to try to get into my heavenly Father's good graces. One thing is very wrong with this type of behavior -- you tend to forget that Jesus already accomplished everything that needed to be done. That's how He was able to say "It is finished," when He died.

As I was repenting about my callous indifference to my Father's great love, I was reminded of a Keith Green song that addressed this mindset. The first verse is as follows:

My son, my son, why are you striving? 
You can't add one thing to what I've done for you. 
I did it all while I was dying; 
Rest in your faith; My peace will come to you.

You see, my dear brothers and sisters, we don't have to strive to be in a particular position with God.We cannot make ourselves more presentable to Him than Jesus has already made us. "But," you may argue, "Faith without works is dead! I have to work for God!" Yes, in order to be a follower of Jesus, we must deny ourselves daily, take up our cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). But this speaks of a life totally surrendered to God, and if you are striving every day, wearing yourself out trying to be acceptable to Him, that's a sure sign you are not in right relationship with Him.

If today you find yourself exhausted and in a place of striving, I encourage you with the words of Psalm 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God." Stop focusing on yourself and what you perceive are your shortcomings and failings. Instead, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).


Have you ever felt like you were spinning your wheels but not really getting anywhere in your Christian walk? I have felt that way many times, nearly always because at some point I had refused to obey something God told me to do.

Disobedience does not bring forth life. We can busy ourselves with all sorts of "Christian" activities, but if our heart is not yielded to God, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).

Obedience to God, on the other hand, always creates LIFE. Are you a conduit of the life-giving water that Jesus offered the Samaritan woman in John 4? Can God help himself to you anytime He pleases, for whatever purpose He pleases? Or are you so preoccupied with your own agenda that God can't even get your attention?

I think we all go through periods when we have grandiose ideas about ourselves and the things we want to do for God. Some of it may be genuine, but many times our pride and desire for recognition are behind it. We need to ask God to deliver us of ourselves so that we can enter into His purposes for our lives. Mother Teresa was a shining example of the type of humility a Christ follower must possess; she poured her life into the unlovely and the dregs of society, and the only recognition she desired was that of her Savior.

I leave you with a wonderful truth by Oswald Chambers:

My personal life may be crowded with small, petty incidents, altogether unnoticeable and mean; but if I obey Jesus Christ in the haphazard circumstances, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God, and when I stand face to face with God, I will discover that through my obedience thousands were blessed.

I remember years ago reading The Navigator, a biography of Dawson Trotman. I read it because at the time my husband and I were involved in a two-year-long discipleship training program published by The Navigators ministry. After we completed the course, we taught it for four more years. The course grounded us in our faith more than anything else we had experienced.

If you're not familiar with Dawson Trotman, he founded The Navigators in the 1930s. After seeing the benefits of discipleship in his own life, Trotman became passionate about teaching others, inspired by 2 Timothy 2:2: "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."


Converted at 20, Trotman spent 30 years pouring his life into discipling others, beginning with high school students and Sunday school classes. In 1933, Trotman and his friends expanded their ministry to sailors in the U.S. Navy. Les Spencer, one of those sailors, was transformed by discipleship -- so much so that a fellow sailor asked Spencer to share the secret of his changed life. Spencer brought the sailor to Trotman, and said, "Teach him what you taught me." Trotman's response, "You teach him!" has become a classic reminder of what discipleship is all about. Once we have been discipled, we are to disciple others. That's how multiplication works.

Spencer did teach the sailor, and soon the two men were meeting with others. Eventually 125 men on their ship were growing in Christ and actively sharing their faith. Billy Graham, then an up-and-coming evangelist, was so impressed with Trotman's method that he enlisted him to help disciple new converts who committed their lives to Christ at Graham's crusades.

Trotman wanted to challenge people to stay on task with sharing their faith, and always be in the business of discipleship. A burning question was perpetually on his lips: "Men, where is your man? Women, where is your woman? Where is the one whom you led to Christ and who is now going on with Him?"

What challenged me the most about how Trotman lived his life is that he never allowed himself sleep at night until he had told at least one person about Jesus. One night after falling into bed exhausted, he realized he had not told anyone about the Lord that day. He told God he would witness to two people the next day to make up for it, but was not able to rest. He got up and began to drive around, asking God for an opportunity to share the gospel. He picked up a commuter who was walking to his car, and proceeded to share his faith, and the man accepted Christ.

John 15:13 says there is no greater love than to lay down your own life for another. That's how Trotman lost his life at age 50. Ten people attending a Christian conference were in a speed boat, when suddenly a big wave hit. Trotman and a young girl were thrown overboard. He held her head above water until the boat circled back to them. As the girl was lifted to safety, Trotman sank beneath the water and disappeared from sight. 

I am woefully and sinfully inadequate when it comes to evangelism. I am praying for God to open my eyes so that I see others as He sees them, and am asking Him to break my heart for the lost.

Why are we so reticent to share the greatest news anyone could ever hear? Are we just so busy with our own lives that we can't be bothered about where other people might spend eternity? 

I am grateful for those who prayed me into the kingdom -- for the ones who sowed the seed, the ones who watered and cultivated. Let's be grateful enough to God that we truly want to see His kingdom come and His will to be done. Begin your day asking God for opportunities to share the love of Jesus, and then walk through the doors that He opens for you.

"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7, ESV).

The birth of Jesus was not as we might romanticize it to be. It was not a clean, cozy, warm room in a birthing center, where nurses attended Mary. It was far from being what hospitals call a sterile environment. On the contrary, the birth of our Savior took place in a barn which no doubt reeked of the dung and urine of the various animals that resided there. Since no Pack-N-Play was available, Mary laid her newborn son in a feeding trough.

Imagine that. God incarnate, choosing as His birthplace a foul-smelling building used to house cattle, donkeys, goats and sheep. As I meditated on this wondrous truth, the thought occurred to me, How can you NOT believe this marvelous story? Think about it. What other religion would enthrone their king in a feeding trough? The pharaohs of ancient Egypt, for example, were no doubt born with pomp and circumstance, with a dozen nursemaids attending to the mother's every need. If anything happened to the baby, the person responsible would likely have been executed.

Jesus was born in the same way He lived His entire life -- in humility. Instead of people of nobility being in attendance, Jesus was surrounded by shepherds, who were considered the dregs of society. The outcast and the marginalized were always His favorites; the pious and religious were the ones He shunned.

As you gather with loved ones this week, take time to stop and meditate about the wonder of Jesus' birth. And that He came for YOU. He came for me. He came for all those who will humble themselves and call on His Name.

Have a blessed, joyous Christmas.

Sometimes things happen to Christians and we wonder why. We seem to think that, as children of God, we should be insulated from any unpleasantness in life.

Recently my dear niece called to share what's going on in her life. She does this periodically; she and I seem to have an uncanny knack for understanding each other. She GETS me, and I get her.

This time, she called to ask for prayer. Her church is in the midst of a capital campaign -- not a huge one, but just adding on some much needed room. Right after my niece and her husband prayerfully committed the amount they felt God wanted them to give, they got hit hard -- a nearly $4,000 auto repair. Satan is SO predictable, is he not?

The cool thing about my niece is that she was way clued in on this. She shared her excitement at waiting to see how God was going to provide in the midst of this.

We must not deny God's inherent goodness simply because we are bewildered by circumstances. We need to remember we are but fallen, sinful creatures and that His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). We have no right to expect to understand our Creator's every move. If we did, what need would there be for faith?

Remember Job? He refused to curse God even when nearly everything he had was taken from him -- including his health. Through his entire horrendous ordeal, he maintained his confidence in God's goodness, even though the reason for His suffering was never revealed to him.

Christians love to quote Romans 8:28 about how all things work together for our good. But many of us misinterpret what "good" means. In God's economy, our "good" does not mean convenience and comfort and a carefree existence. God's ultimate end in His dealings with us is His own glory -- and when we are disciplined by Him, it is because He is conforming us into the likeness of His Son.

J.I. Packer explains this dynamic very well in his book Hot Tub Religion:

"He leaves us in a world of sin to be tried, tested, belabored by troubles that threaten to crush us, in order that we may glorify Him by our patience under suffering, and in order that He may display the riches of His grace and call forth new praises from us as He constantly upholds and delivers us."

Even in horrific illness; even in the deepest, darkest depression; even in the death of a loved one; even when an innocent is cruelly molested; even when children go astray and we fear for their very souls -- let us remember, dear brothers and sisters, that our God is still on His throne. And let us seek to glorify Him in how we respond to whatever life might throw our way.

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul (1 Peter 2:11).

When is the last time you felt like an alien in your sphere of influence? Have you ever felt out of place in a gathering where people were discussing, for example, a movie that you chose not to see because of questionable content?

I remember very vividly a time when my place of employment had a fire drill. I was standing outside with some other women (all believers) as we waited for the "all clear" to go back inside.

When the conversation turned to Coach handbags, the youngest in our group boasted about having SIX of them. I was tempted to ask her if she had any idea how many orphans she could sponsor with the money she spent, but I held my tongue. When she said her fiancee probably wouldn't want her to spend money like that once they got married, some other women in the group proceeded to tell her that if her husband could have HIS "toys," she was entitled to hers. I about threw up, and excused myself from the group -- which I realize now was not the correct thing to do. I was wrong to not confront my sisters. It wasn't so much the greed, but the fact that these older, supposedly more mature women were basically instructing the younger woman -- before she was even married -- in the clever art of deceiving her husband so that she can buy whatever she wants.


A couple of years ago I complimented a young woman in our church after seeing her honeymoon pictures online. Though many of the photos were taken on the beach, she was dressed modestly in lovely sundresses or skirts. I made it a point to compliment her because many Christian women have embraced the world's standards with regard to their clothing. String bikinis seem as popular at Christian swim parties as they are at public beaches. We have forgotten that God exhorts us to be modest and not draw attention to ourselves -- let alone cause men to lust after our nearly naked bodies.

I think we forget sometimes Paul's admonition to the Romans: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think" (Romans 12:2, NLT). 

It is not a bane or a curse  to be different. On the contrary, we are called to be different. If our lives look no different than the rest of humanity, how can we hope to reach the lost for Christ?

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).

I have been humbled by this wonderful Scripture more times than I can count. I have embraced it as wisdom for myself, and have used it to counsel brothers and sisters in Christ.

When you get to be my age, you have gleaned some wisdom -- not solely from God, but simply by virtue of the fact that life has battered and bruised you for decades. I am always honored when a younger person comes to me for mentoring, eager to learn and to grow in their walk with God. They seem to understand that dynamic about wisdom and age.
 
At other times, though, when I have confronted a brother or sister who was behaving in a less-than-Christlike manner, I was accused of being judgmental. I can't tell you how many times I have heard that verse ripped out of context because someone was prideful and defensive about being called on the carpet about their behavior. 

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that we are all accountable to each other. We are part of the Body of Christ, and are to exhort and encourage one another to be true to the faith. Sometimes that requires loving confrontation.

It's not about whether we are right or wrong. It's about whether we are honoring GOD in all we do. It's about remembering that we are not our own. Yes, we live in a country where freedom of speech is touted. And yes, we are free in Christ. But Paul exhorts us to not use that freedom to do what we please:

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).

Are you free to post whatever you want on Facebook, regardless of how crude and/or offensive it may be? Are you free to smoke weed or get drunk or overeat? Are you free to walk out on your spouse because you simply don't want to invest the time and effort it takes to save your marriage? Are you free to be in debt up to your eyeballs because materialism has become an idol?

The answer to all these questions is yes -- if you don't know Christ. Jesus says if anyone would come after Him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. And the wonderful admonition in Philippians urges us to consider others better than ourselves (2:3). That means choosing not to post something on Facebook that could make another stumble. It means going to God to fulfill your needs, rather than self-medicating with marijuana or alcohol or food. It means cleaving to your spouse and exhausting every possible opportunity to save your marriage. It means being a good steward of your finances rather than spending irresponsibly.

Jesus left His throne in heaven to come walk among us. He was vilified, hated, and ultimately crucified so that we could be reconciled to God. If He can make a sacrifice that immense, should we not be willing to at least set aside our personal "freedoms" if they cause others to question our faith? If the fruit you bear does not bring glory to God, it's time to do some pruning.

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit” (Acts 19:1-2).

It's no secret that the Holy Spirit has been the source of many heated discussions in the church. Tragically, entire denominations have been formed around what people believe or don't believe about Him. And if you happen to attend a church where the third Person of the Godhead is virtually ignored, you may echo the sentiments of the disciples in the Scripture above: "We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

The Bible is quite clear that we need the Holy Spirit if we hope to live as Jesus wants us to live. Remember Peter? Before the Holy Spirit came on him, he was weak and cowardly, ultimately denying Jesus. After the Holy Spirit, he spoke boldly and unapologetically about Jesus to anyone who would listen. He died a martyr's death because he wouldn't stop witnessing about his Lord.

The bottom line is that our lives with the Holy Spirit should look radically different than they did before. For many, though, "new life" in Christ has become formulaic:

• Life before Christ = drinking, smoking, drugs, sex
• Life after Christ = NO drinking, smoking, drugs, sex

We tend to focus on what we DO, but God focuses on who we ARE. Like Peter, we can go from fearful to bold, from powerless to powerful, from self-absorbed to self-crucified. It's not about whether we speak in tongues or not, folks -- it's about our bodies becoming the very temples where the Holy Spirit dwells in power.

Have you shied away from the Holy Spirit simply because you weren't sure what it meant to "receive" Him or be "filled" with Him? Francis Chan addresses this in his book Forgotten God. He has heard people say, "What if I pray for the Holy Spirit and nothing happens?"

It's scary to pray boldly for change or freedom from sin because if nothing happens, then doesn't that mean God failed? Doesn't that mean His Spirit isn't all we've been told He is?
I think the fear of God failing leads us to "cover for God." This means we ask for less, expect less, and are satisfied with less because we are afraid to ask for or expect more.

Chan is absolutely right. We make it so much about ourselves, and how we're going to "look" to other people. Some think they are more spiritual simply because they speak in tongues. Our focus is totally off what God intended when He sent His Spirit -- power to be His witnesses.

I have known people who speak in tongues and were mean-spirited and divisive. I have also been privileged to pray and walk with others whose countenances nearly shone with the Holy Spirit's love and power. May we all desire to be so completely His that we lay aside our preconceived ideas and ask for a fresh infilling of His Spirit today. Then let us "go and make disciples of all nations."

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:1-3).

In the ancient Roman world, little children were least important. But when Jesus came, old ways of measuring greatness were no longer valid. Jesus turned the world upside down when He told His followers they must become like little children.

To become like children, we have to know something about children. Here are some observations that came to mind as I meditated on this passage from Matthew:

• Children are marvelously simple human beings. They don't wake up in the morning and immediately start worrying about what the day might hold. They don't wonder what they're going to eat or wear -- those things are their parents' concern.

• Children don't lie awake at night and worry; their sleep is sweet.

• Children aren't concerned about what others think of them; that comes later, when society begins dictating how we should look and act.

• Children are joyful, and possess a delightful wonder about things. They are like sponges who crave learning to the point of saturation. Their needs are simple. They fall asleep when they're tired -- whenever and wherever that might be.

• Children forgive quickly and easily. They are not prideful. They don't sweat the small stuff.

• Children don't fear lack. They have implicit trust that their parents will meet their every need.

• Children are pure in heart, unsullied by the world.

• Children don't have an agenda; they look to their parents for direction and wisdom.

Our oldest son, Josh, and his wife, Bethany, are school teachers. Before Bethany took a sabbatical when their third daughter was born, I cared for our older two granddaughters full-time. When Evie (whose recent photo adorns this blog) was not quite one year old, she would wake in the morning, stand in her crib and reach for me with a huge grin on her little face. It's as if she was saying, "I'm ready, Grandma! What great adventures are we going to have today?" As you can see by the photo, she still embraces life with joy and gusto.

Imagine if WE began our days like Evie, excitedly looking to our Abba Father, breathless with anticipation about where He might lead us and how He might use us! This, I think, is the heart of a child: never losing sight of who our Father is, and that He is the source of all life. He created us, He leads us, and He equips us to do whatever He calls us to do.

Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? (Romans 9:21)

In this chapter of Romans, Paul anguishes that the  Jewish people are enemies of the gospel -- so much so that he wishes himself cursed and cut off from Christ for their sake (vs. 3).

He mentions Pharaoh, and how God hardened his heart "that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth" (vs. 17). The Jews could then argue, as they were very adept at doing, that they are not to blame because "who can resist God's will?" (vs. 19).

Paul knew his audience. He knew how prideful the Jews were, and how set on making their own path to salvation. Not content to embrace the gospel of grace, they continued to insist that they were inherently better simply because they were Jews.

How often, I wonder, do we as Christians do the same thing? Oh yes, we say we are saved by the blood of Jesus, and in that way may be a step ahead of the Jews. But do we harbor that same stubborn pride in our hearts, that smugness that makes us think we are better than others simply because we are Christians? I know I have.

Though we bear the name of Christ, we allow society to dictate our identity and our sense of importance. Those who hold masters or doctorate degrees may deem themselves somehow a cut above those who only have bachelors degrees or have never attended college. Senior pastors may bristle at the thought of visiting someone in the hospital because that is the job of one of their elders or deacons. People with money may be esteemed more highly in the local church, because of what their money can DO for the congregation.

I love verse 21 because it handily puts all this nonsense in the proper perspective. Think about pottery for just a minute. A "noble" piece of pottery may be a beautiful vase on display at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. A "common" piece of pottery would be...hmmm...perhaps a chamber pot? You know, those handy little vessels that people had to use before we had the luxury of flush toilets?

See how quickly we categorize things as noble or common, beautiful or...well...unmentionable? Paul knows the hearts of men, and turns the focus on the Creator rather than the creation. Whether we are Jew or Gentile, educated or uneducated, wealthy or indigent -- we were all created by God and in His image. Our focus should not be on what we can do or how much money we can make, but on submitting ourselves daily to God, and asking Him to fulfill His purposes in and through us.

Am I willing to be a chamber pot for the sake of the gospel? Or do I have delusions of grandeur, and prefer to be recognized and praised by men? I confess to the latter. But as I read Romans 9 in my devotions last week, the thought of being a chamber pot started to become more appealing. Why should I think that I am "above" being a certain thing for my Savior's sake? He emptied himself and became nothing for me, and I would like to do the same for Him.

In the verses preceding these, Jesus told Peter, “I tell you the truth, when you were younger, you tied your own belt and went where you wanted. But when you are old, you will put out your hands and someone else will tie you and take you where you don't want to go” (NCV). He was alluding to how Peter would be martyred.

“It is the will of Christ that his disciples should mind their own duty, and not be curious about future events, either as to themselves or others. Many things we are apt to be anxious about, which are nothing to us. Other people's affairs are nothing to us, to intermeddle in; we must quietly work, and mind our own business. Many curious questions are put about the counsels of God, and the state of the unseen world, as to which we may say, What is this to us? And if we attend to the duty of following Christ, we shall find neither heart nor time to meddle with that which does not belong to us.”