For All Us Lumps Of Clay                                   01-18-16


Romans 9:20-21 (ESV) ²⁰  But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”
²¹  Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

I listened and read this week about a young man of God describe the possibilities of a life lived for God. This fireball recounted the many miraculous moves of God in the lives of past spiritual giants. Men like Smith Wigglesworth, John G. Lake, the Welsh Revival and so on. Men and movements where God moved miraculously, healing the sick, opening blinded eyes, even raising the dead. His point being that these kinds of happenings are not imprisoned in the past. Indeed, the church today has access to that same power, if only they will seek God with all their heart. I personally have never been in the presence of someone being raised from the dead; but, one thing I have learned over these 65 years..God can and actually does ANYTHING He so desires. I discount none of the stories and testimonies of those heroes of faith.

That being said, here's a slightly different perspective that may or may not be relevant to where you and I live. For all us lumps of clay out there.....this is for us! What do you mean Ronnie? Let me try and explain.

The real heroes of the Kingdom of God  are the lumps of clay aren't they? For every Smith Wigglesworth there are a hundred unseen nursery workers. For every Daddy Seymour or Billy Graham there are thousands of folks that contribute of their time, effort, and money to the furtherance of God's Church and His Kingdom. No fanfare, no applause, just quietly going about their business. These are the REAL heroes of the Kingdom. And herein lieth the lesson.

Whenever I hear of someone seeking the POWER and MIRACLES of God, I tread cautiously. Whenever I find MYSELF preoccupied with asking God what I can ACCOMPLISH for Him, He always seems to give me pause.How so Ronnie? He points me to a lump of clay. Watch a kid sometime playing with Play Dough. Better yet watch the Play Dough and observe what it does. Just what does Play Dough do Ronnie? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. It just sits there with no aspirations of it's own. It doesn't try and make something, anything of itself. It makes no demands or even requests. It initiates NOTHING.

All it does is sit or stand motionless waiting on the child to do whatever they wish with the clay. And my goodness, what the child does to that poor ol' Play Dough.Usually the first thing that happens to that lump of clay is it is squeezed and disfigured until it no longer resembles the nice round or oblong lump that came out of the container. Then, more often than not, the lump is exposed to being torn apart, thrown, mashed, pounded and whatever other word describes the molding process. Until mercifully the clay, now resembling something unknown from it's original shape emerges . And here is the salient point. The clay has now become the image of what the child wanted in the first place.

Isn't that what God desires of us? Let me tell you something. God has called me to be a lump of clay. It is as simple as that. Now that does not necessarily mean that I will forever STAY a lump of clay, but in truth that is God's business isn't it? My job is to sit on the shelf, remain soft and pliable and be MOLDABLE whenever God comes calling. It is not my place to actively seek my role in God's plan. If I am smart, I will yield to the refining and reshaping that God has in store for me. That reshaping may be into the image of a Smith Wigglesworth or Billy Graham; OR, it may be into the shape of a doormat in the Household of God. You feelin' me here?

You don't have a pulpit ministry? Welcome to the club. You are not standing in front of multitudes calling down the miracles of God? Glad to make your acquaintance.Let's have lunch sometime. Oh, but listen. Are you, like that Play Dough willing to allow God to make anything He wants of you? Are you contentedly being shaped into that vessel of honor that God desires you to be? Then take heart brother or sister, God has a plan and a reward headed your way. 

Let all of us "lumps" take heart in this.     


Psalm 40:2 (ESV) ²  He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

God Bless