Ryan K. Nelson

In our accountability group we each accepted the challenge to read through a 21-day reading plan on YouVersion called “Living a Divinely Inspired Life.”  Today we were reading from Mark 6 when Jesus feed over 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish.  Not only that, their were 12 baskets left over.  One for each of the disciples to carry away.

The commentary that accompanies this particular study offered a valuable insight.  It reminded us that the disciples were looking at what they did not have rather than what they had.  Ouch!

You and I can get consumed by what we’re missing and never get to meeting the needs of what is happening around us.  We need to reorient ourselves (I’ll be talking about this extensively on January 29 at 33Church).  We need to realize that despite what we do or do not have in our hands we have the King of kings as an advocate for us.  If you are called to do something but you do not have “the resources” you still have Jesus.  See what He can do through you!

This (Isaiah 64:4-9) is part of a series of studies my accountability group is reading through for the next few weeks.  It’s a study from YouVersion called “Living a Divinely Inspired Life.”
In today’s reading I see this verse:

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 (NIV84)

This idea of God as the potter and myself is the clay is one of my favorite illustrations of our relationship with God.  There are many reasons but let’s just look at three of them briefly.

First, we can find great joy in the realization that God is actively shaping us.  No skillful potter expects to throw clay on the potter’s wheel and just say that whatever comes out is a work of art (granted, in the 21st century this might pass as some sort of art).  A great potter has his hand on the clay and is shaping it with great intention.  God the Potter, according to Isaiah 64:8, is actively shaping us into a beautiful work of art with His artistic mindset.

Second, we (the clay) can trust the Potter (God) that is shaping us.  The unique thing about us is that we have a willing and we have a voice.  When a potter works with clay the clay has no voice or will.  But, this illustration reminds me that we are to become what God has created us to be rather than resist what He is making us become.  All the times we try to tell God what to do with our life is simple lumps in the clay that the Potter needs to work out.  And that leads us to the third idea for today.

Being shaped does not always feel good but it is what makes us into what He wants us to be.  When our will collides with His will God will artistically work to try and remove or breakdown those lumps that are preventing us from becoming what He is creating.  That hurts.  It hurts our pride.  It may hurt our dreams.  It may even hurt our career or family.  But, God what’s us to accomplish something extraordinary for His Kingdom and we can trust that through the discomfort of being shaped by God we will become something amazing for His glory.

I’ve heard this passage quite a bit throughout my life.  My mom would reference it often.  Yet, on this day, as I read it I am struck by a line that I’ve missed in the past.  In verse 14 it says, “…your works are wonderful….”  I’m struck by two thoughts as I read this.

The first thought is that God’s works are wonderful therefore each one of us–from the man on the park bench at 2:30 AM, to the woman with the screaming child in the aisle over at Wal-Mart, to the drug addict at the bus stop, to the attorney in the $2M home–each one of us is a wonderful work of God.  If I could grab hold of that understanding I think I would treat people with an entirely different attitude.

The other thought that occurs to me is that our worth is directly affected by our view of God.  If you do not understand God as your Creator than the only way you can sense value within yourself is to convince yourself of your importance or convince others to make you seem important.  However, if you understand God as your Creator and that the Word of God is from that Creator then the definition of your significance is brought about by Him.  Therefore you are wonderful just as Palm 139:14 tells us.

Go be what God created you to be!

Last Thursday Green Springs Elementary School was the victim of Arson.  Several classrooms were severely damaged.  Several teachers lost many supplies which they had accumulated through their years of teaching.  I have asked the school how we can help and they asked for either gift cards to stores like The Supply Closet, Mardel’s, WalMart, K-Mart and Target.  Then they gave us a very specific list of things.

Here’s a list from the representative of Green Springs Elementary School.  Let’s do all we can to help meet this need.

This Sunday 33Church will have an area in the lobby for donating the following supplies to Green Springs Elementary. Find out details about location and time here.

• Cute sticky (Post-it) notes
• Gel Pens
• shoe box size Rubbermaid containers
• Rubber stamps and colored ink pads
• Addition and subtraction flash cards
• Scrapbooking scissors (fun edges)
• Avery address and return address labels that go thru the printer – various sizes
• Gallon and Quart Size Zip Lock Baggies
• Magnets and magnet clips for dry-erase boards
• Expo Markers – Various Colors
• Hand sanitizer
• Age-appropriate books (Think A-Z Mysteries, Magic Tree House)
• Stuffed Alligators
• Rubbermaid containers that have drawers, big and/or small
• crates to hang file folders in
• different sizes of cups and baskets
• Cute notepads
• Stickers
• Packaging Tape
• Velcro tape
• Magnetic tape
• popsicle sticks- plain in color- large size
• mouse pad
• timer (digital kitchen timers)
• bells (like attention-getting signals)
• clipboards
• mailboxes- 24-slots
• Organizational trays (stackable plastic trays, colored cardboard slots, magazine rack)
• Marbles
• Whistles (for recess duty- metal works best)
• Binder rings (silver rings)