During the Men’s Prayer Mtg this morning, our conversation turned to ministry that proceeded out of traumatic life events. One of the men commented that maybe our shells have become hardened with time and maybe it takes something that breaks through the shell to help us to see a ministry God has placed right in front of us.
This got me thinking about something I believe very strongly; that God will make a way to get the Gospel into the life of one who is responding to the light and call of God. I believe that, looking from man’s perspective, God will do whatever it takes to either get the person to the Gospel or get the Gospel to the person. I believe that, looking from God’s perspective, He has put into place the persons and the chain of events that will bring to fruition His call upon the one whom He has called.
Sometimes, God has designed that we would be His vessel of ministry, but our hearts have grown hard against His call. It’s kind of like the pot that needs to be reshaped. He is the potter. We are the clay. It is His right to mold us into whatever shape suits His desire for us.
As the Spirit of God works in our hearts, sometimes we can see how He is breaking what remains of the heart of stone within us, in order to replace it with a heart of flesh...a heart that desires to do His will. He works within us to bring us to a place where we are broken, so that His Spirit may be spilled out through us.
Steve Green sang about this on his album Steve Green, in 1984.
One day a plain village woman Driven by love for her Lord Recklessly poured out a valuable essence Disregarding the scorn And once it was broken and spilled out A fragrance filled all the room Like a prisoner released from his shackles Like a spirit set free from the tomb
Broken and spilled out Just for love of you, Jesus My most precious treasure Lavished on thee Broken and spilled out And poured at your feet In sweet abandon Let me be spilled out And used up for Thee
Lord you were God's precious treasure His loved and his own perfect Son Sent here to show me the love of the Father Just for love it was done And though you were perfect and holy You gave up yourself willingly You spared no expense for my pardon You were used up and wasted for me
Are you..., are we..., willing to let the Lord spill out His mercy and grace through us?
Are we willing as in softened clay that may be easily molded and shaped, or are we willing as in a hardened shell that needs to be cracked and moistened with grief before being reshaped?
I invite you to pray with me...
Lord, have I unwittingly and unknowingly become a stiff-necked and hard-hearted believer? That is not what I desire. Please help me to soften my heart toward you and toward those You have placed around me so that You might work through me to love them and minister your Word to them. I ask this in Jesus’ name...Amen.
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