The Broken Vessel

THE VESSEL

The Master was looking for a vessel to use.

Before Him were many, which one would He choose?

“Take me”, cried the gold one, shiny and bright,

“I’m of great value and I do things just right!

My beauty and luster will outshine the rest,

And for someone like You, Master, gold would be best.”

The Master passed on with no word at all,

And looked at a silver urn, so grand and tall.

“I’ll serve you, dear Master, I’ll pour out your wine.

I’ll be on your table whenever you dine.

My lines are so graceful, my carving so true,

And silver will always compliment you.”

Unheeding, the Master passed on to the brass,

Wide-mouthed and shallow and polished like glass.

“Here, here”, cried the vessel, “I know I will do.

Place me on your table for all men to view.”

“Look at me”, cried the gauntlet of crystal so clear.

“My transparency shows my contents so dear.

Though fragile am I, I will serve you with pride.

And I’m sure I’ll be happy in your house to abide.”

The Master came next to a vessel of wood,

Polished and carved it solidly stood.

“You may use me, Master”, the wooden bowl said.

“But I’d rather you use me for fruit, and not bread.”

Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay,

Empty and broken it helplessly lay.

No hope had the vessel that the Master might choose,

To cleanse, to make whole, to fill, and to use.

“Ah, now this is the vessel I’ve been hoping to find.

I’ll mend it, and use it, and make it all mine.

I need not the vessel of pride in itself,

Nor the one that’s too narrow to sit on the shelf,

Nor one that is big-mouthed and shallow and loud,

Nor one that displays its contents so proud,

Nor the one who thinks he can do things just right,

But this plain earthly vessel filled with my power and might!”

Then gently He lifted the vessel of clay,

Mended it, and cleansed it, and filled it that day.

He spoke to it kindly, “There’s work you must do.

Just pour out to others, what I’ve poured into you?”

Afraid to Speak

How many times have you felt the Holy Spirit leading you to share the gospel with someone but because of the fear of saying something wrong, you choose to remain silent? I am sad to say that this happens to me all too often. I am currently asking the Father to give me a boldness and a readiness to share at any point. I want to go to bed everynight knowing that I shared my hope with someone that day.

I love to read My Utmost For His Highest and yesterday's entry was this...




The Miracle of Belief
1 Corinthians 2:4 (1Co_2:4)

Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of a deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.

Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, from impressive diction, and from everything else that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God --- ". . . as though God were pleading through us . . ." (2Co_5:20). He is there to present the gospel of God. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get close to Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the gospel will result in making me a traitor to Jesus, and I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.

"And I, if I am lifted up . . . , will draw all peoples to Myself" (Joh_12:32).

By Faith

This post is for my Mom and Pop, who are about to embark on the ride of their lives! There is nothing better than being right in the center of His will, even when it hurts and is uncomfortable.

One of my favorite devotional books is Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman.


April 16

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. (Hebrew 11:8)

Abraham "did not know where he was going"---it simply was enough for him to know he went with God. He did not lean as much on the promises as he did on the Promiser. And he did not look at the difficulties of his circumstances but looked to His King-the eternal, limitless, invisible, wise and only God-who had reached down from His throne to direct his path and who would certainly prove Himself.
O glorious faith! Your works and possibilities are these: contentment to set sail with the orders still sealed, due to unwavering confidernce in the wisdom of the lord High Admiral; and a willingness to get up, leave everyting, and follow Christ, because of the joyful assurance that earth's best does not compare with heaven's least. (F.B. Meyer)

In no way is it enough to set out cheerfully with God on any venture of faith. You must also be willing to take you ideas of what the journey will be like and tear them into tiny pieces, for nothing on the itinerary will happen as you expect.

Your Guide will not keep to any beaten path. He will lead you through ways you would never have dreamed your eyes would see. He knows not fear, and He expects you to fear nothing while he is with you.

The day had gone; alone and weak
I groped my way within a bleak
And sunless land.
The path that led into the light
I could not find! In that dark night
God took my hand.
He led me that I might not stray
And brought me by a safe, new way
I had not known.
By waters still, through pastures green
I followed Him-the path was clean
of briar and stone.
The heavy darkness lost its strength,
My waiting eyes beheld at length
The streaking dawn.
On, safely on, through sunrise glow
I walked, my hand in His, and lo
The night had gone.
Annie Porter Johnson

Miracles

Difficulty is the very atmosphere of miracle--it is miracle in its first stage. If it is to be a great miracle, the condition is not difficulty but impossibility.

Charles Cowman (Streams in the Desert)