What Kind of Bowl Are You?

One of my deepest desires is for the Lord to constantly use me as a vessel to bring Glory to His Name.  I want to be a vessel that our Father can depend on today, tomorrow and for always.  I often pray Lord, Here am I - send me.  I find myself waiting on pins and needles, at times, looking for His footprints where He has paved the way to allow me to do something for His Kingdom.  And, more often than not, I am left sitting on those pins and needles. 

Excitement & conviction came rushing in like a flood through my body when I heard Isaiah 66:19-20 this morning (scripture at the bottom).   I love everything about this scripture;  I don't know why, but the words cereal and vessel stick out to me like a sore thumb.  The Holy Spirit then began to show me why:

When I think of a cereal bowl, I think of a plastic bowl that gets used often.  It is resilient and sturdy.  It can be thrown around or fall off of a table, and it will not break.  It is constantly filled with milk, grains, fruits, etc...  A cereal bowl can be used indoors, or outdoors.  Adults use cereal bowls and small fingers are also trusted with cereal bowls.  While it is being used, it doesn't make much noise.  Once its use has been fulfilled, it is thrown into the sink and hangs out with the other dirty dishes.  It is then cleaned.  During its cleaning process, it can be mixed in with all other dishes or utensils for it does no harm to other dishes, nor do those dishes do harm to it.  Once it is cleaned and dried it gets put away.  The cereal bowls in our house are stacked in an everyday cabinet for easy access.  More often than not, cereal bowls are used again within the same week, although not always used for cereal.  They can be used for anything and everything. 

Then there is fine china.  A fine china bowl is fancy and nice to look at.  It gets special treatment.  It is often stored away in a 'china cabinet' with glass windows and is on display for all to see.  When there is a special occasion, a fancy dinner or an impression that needs to be made, the fine china comes out.  However, since it has been sitting so long, it needs to be cleaned before it can be used.  China is usually only used indoors, where it is safe and will not break, and small fingers are usually not trusted with fine china.  When utensils strike the plate during eating, the china makes a lot of noise.  Once it is time to for the china to be cleaned, it needs to be treated VERY carefully, or it might break!  China is not usually thrown into a sink with other dishes or utensils so that it is not scratched.  Once the cleaning and drying process is over, the china is carefully put back into its china cabinet, on display once again.

After this comparison I thought of how much these bowls are a reflection of us as a people, or as followers of Christ.  How often are we the 'fine china bowls', sitting on display with our fellow fine china dishes where we are comfortable.  The fine china is looked at by others and admired, but it isn't easily accessible.  When it is brought out of its comfort zone from time to time, it makes sure that its presence is known and it is delicately handled.  But mostly it sits in its high place looking out of glass windows collecting dust, watching other vessels being used constantly.

A cereal bowl kind of person does not require a lot of maintenance.  It can be used all day, every day and in every way.  It doesn't matter what the cereal bowl looks like, or what other dishes it is thrown up against.  Most importantly, a cereal bowl is always clean, because it is used often.  It is always willing and ready to be used.  Oh Lord, how I long to be a cereal bowl!  "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.  Then will I teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted and return to You.  Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit."  Psalm 51:10-13

My challenge this week is to never go back into the china cabinet.  I want to be taken out, cleansed and used regularly for His Glory.

Isaiah 66:19-20 "And I will set up a miraculous sign among them, and from them I will send survivors to the nations—to Tarshish, Pul (Put), and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles and coast lands afar off that have not heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare and proclaim My glory among the nations. And they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the Lord - upon horses and in chariots and in litters and upon mules and upon camels - to My holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the children of Israel bring their cereal offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord." 

The Grass is Not Greener on the Other Side

Today my mind is on seeds.  I have never given much thought to seeds; mostly because I associate them with gardening, which I don't enjoy nor have I ever had a green thumb.  This morning I asked myself why - just what is it about gardening that I don't like.  And the truth is - I don't like the work... getting my hands dirty, pulling weeds, watering the plants, sweating, etc... 

Right after I had this thought the Holy Spirit got a hold of me and said, "What about spiritual seeds - do you not like the work that is involved with that as well?  What seeds in yourself are you watering or letting other people water?  What seeds are you planting or watering in other people?"  WHOA NELLY!  I was not expecting that!  But it really got me thinking! 

You know the saying "The grass is greener on the other side."  That quote has always bothered me, because it is not true.  The grass is greener where you water it.  I thought of that quote and asked myself, what am I watering?

Over my lifetime I know that there have been so many seeds planted in me from myself, or by others.  Seeds of joy, seeds of anger, seeds of loyalty, seeds of gossip, seeds of honesty, seeds of lies, seeds of deceit, seeds of forgiveness, seeds of bitterness, seeds of God's word and seeds from the enemy.  Am I watering a seed of unconditional love for others, or a seed of 'conditional' love?  When I speak to my children, am I planting seeds of loving kindness, or seeds of harshness?  Have I accepted The Word that is planted in me, which can save me - or have I, instead, accepted brutal words or criticism that have been spoken to me and bring death?  Which plants within my soul are larger than the others?  Have I watered the seed of judgment, whose plant may be smothering my plant of grace?  Or am I watering a seed of servanthood versus a seed of entitlement?

All I could think is, this girl needs some gardening!  Lord Jesus, woe is me - I invite your Father to create a new landscape within me to show myself as your disciple.  Apart from you and your words, I can do nothing. You are the vine and I desire to be a fruitful branch.  Search me, God, and know my heart.  Cut off any offensive way in me and prune me in the way everlasting to bring glory to Your Kingdom."   

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." - John 15:1-8

What seeds are you watering within yourself or planting in others?

Connection Lost ... Tap to Retry

How does the Holy Spirit speak to you?  I would say the Holy Spirit speaks to me in a lot of different ways, but it seems that the Lord is always pretty blunt, very obvious, and repetitive when speaking to me.  Whether it is through others, a scripture I hear over and over from different sources, the name of a person or a place will be in front of me constantly, etc...  Sometimes, I instantly know it's Him.  Other times, it takes me a little bit to realize it's Him, or to want to admit that it's Him. 

For about five days now, almost every time I have tried to log into my facebook account from my cell phone, I have seen this:

At first this was just annoying.  I thought something was wrong with my phone, so I deleted the account on my phone, then reloaded it.   That didn't work.  Then I thought I had a bad internet connection, but all of my other apps worked and so did my internet.  On day 4, this thought came to mind, "I wonder if this is how God feels about me... like our connection is lost, but all I have to do is 'retry' or reconnect."  For another day, I still got this connection error over and over.  Then, I finally confessed, out loud, and I admitted my connection to Him had not been very strong lately.  And you know what?  After that confession - the connection lost picture went away.  Almost instantaneously.

I have been praying and thinking about what it is that has caused my connection to be lost.  Part of the answer is obvious - facebook itself can be a huge distraction.  I thought of how much time can be wasted looking at pictures of others, reading different status updates, or when one of my 'close friends' posts something, I get a notification to let me know.  But do I treat my Lord the same way?  Do I constantly look to Him to see what He would have me do everyday?  Am I as interested in what it says in His book as I am in what someone else is saying on facebook?  Am I being selfish by only being notified about my 'close friends' and perhaps missing out on someone else's need or cry for help?  Am I as quick to recognize notifications when the Lord speaks something to me or does something new in my life?  Or am I too distracted by what everyone thinks of what I say, pictures I post, or knowing what others are up to? 

Thank you God that you are a God of grace.  Today, I am thankful that because of Jesus, all I have to do is 'tap to retry' and I will have access to the throne room to be with God.  Beginning today, I am going to limit my facebook usage.  I am going to spend more time in His book.  I am going to spend more time looking at Him each day.  I am going to spend more time resting in His approval of me and giving Him my status update.  Beginning today I will be more about His business and less in other people's business. 

I am going to limit my facebook usage to only twice a day.  Once in the morning and once in the evening for only 3 minutes or less each time.  If you are up to do this challenge with me and/or if you are willing to check in on me and hold this girl accountable, please let me know.