“God’s Transforming Rock Tumbler”

dose

 

Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

There’s a machine called the ‘Rock Tumbler’. And I bet you’ll never guess what it does. Let me help you, it literally tumbles rocks (go figure!) You see, the rock tumbler is placed in water, boring, old rocks are placed inside of it, you turn it on and you let the good times roll! The rocks start spinning, flying, and crashing into each other as they churn around in the water. The atmosphere inside the rock tumbler is pure mayhem! But after all the rockin’ and rollin’ and clashin’ and crashin’, something pretty amazing happens! 

You see, BEFORE those rocks went through the tumbler, they were just drab, boring hunks of stone. BUT WHEN THE PROCESS IS OVER, THEY COME OUT DISPLAYING A BEAUTY YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER GUESSED THEY HAD! 

Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes: “In the beginning, any personal change isn’t easy because you are asking yourself to confront your own self-made comfort zone. The real transformation to the new you, is one that will not only take time, but a healthy dose of perseverance. After all, no transformation is easy or everyone would have already made the shift.” (Byron Pulsifer). 

Now, if the real beauty of an old, dusty, dirty, bent out of shape rock is UNCOVERED THROUGH TURMOIL AND TURBULENCE, DON’T YOU SUPPOSE THAT COULD BE TRUE OF YOU AS WELL? COULD IT BE THAT ALL THE HITS THAT YOU’VE BEEN TAKING RIGHT NOW ARE ACTUALLY PART OF GOD’S “TUMBLER” TO GIVE YOU A BEAUTY THAT YOU’VE NEVER HAD BEFORE?  

Think about it: PRESSURE AND HEAT MAKE A LUMP OF COAL INTO A DIAMOND! AN OYSTER’S IRRITATION AND AGGRAVATION FROM A GRAIN OF SAND ULTIMATELY EMERGES AS A PEARL OF GREAT PRICE! AND, SANDPAPER’S CONSISTENT BUFFING CAN POLISH A BRIGHT NEW SHINY GLOW ON ANYTHING DULL! WELL, DOESN’T IT MAKE YOU WONDER THEN, WHAT YOU’LL COME OUT AS WHEN GOD’S PROCESS IS COMPLETE? Philippians 1:6, “I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and COMPLETE it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].” (AMP) IF ONLY YOU’D JUST SURRENDER TO THE SHAKING, TOLERATE THE TUMBLING AND STOP CLASHING WITH THE CHANGE, WHO KNOWS WHAT YOU’LL BECOME IN THE END! COULD THERE POSSIBLY BE WITHIN YOU A GIFT OF SUCH VALUE THAT IT’S OF MORE WORTH THAN THAT OF A DIAMOND OR PEARL? COULD THERE POSSIBLY BE WITHIN YOU A BRIGHT NEW SHINY GLOW OF THE ANOINTING THAT’S JUST WAITING TO BREAKTHROUGH TO BREAK SOME YOKES OF BONDAGE OFF THE LIVES OF PEOPLE?

It is not the strongest of the species who survive, not the most intelligent, but those who are the most adaptive to change.” (Charles Darwin).  

Maybe you need to stand back from just LOOKING at what’s happening, to SEE WHAT GOD IS DOING THROUGH WHAT’S HAPPENING! Stop fighting God’s process of change, after all, the transformation is for Your Good and His Glory!  

Isaiah 61, beginning with verse 1, reveals some of how TURBULENCE CAN TRANSFORM YOU. The Son of God says: “The Lord … has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” Now the truth is, you may feel like you’re in one of those categories right now yourself: you’re brokenhearted over a relationship, you’re held captive in a dead-end, low paying, no advancing job, or you’re a prisoner to the darkness of bad habits, poor decisions and hard to break addictions. Well, before you read too much into that one verse you’re in NOW, might I encourage you by saying: ‘KEEP READING’, SINCE THAT’S NOT THE END OF YOUR STORY! 

God’s Son goes on to say He was sent: “…to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair…” Jesus has continued writing your story too! He makes beauty from the ashes of your life, gladness from the grieving times, and praise emerging from a time of despair!

As ugly as the situation looks right now, your Hidden Beauty will emerge in full bloom when it’s all said and done! As hard as you’ve had to cry, your tears of pain will turn into tears over the Promises of God still being intact in your life! Only God can take you from Gruesome to Glorious and Grieving to Gladness! But it’s up to you to yield, surrender and submit to His tumbler process of change and transformation. He will not force His Will on your life. 

One of my favorite quotes reads: “We fear that we are inadequate, but our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves: “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be these things? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people around you won’t feel insecure. We are all meant to shine as children do. We are born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically releases others.” (Marriane Williamson). 

In other words, it’s not just about you! Oftentimes, the people in your circle of influence, are watching how you handle bondage and freedom, and they’re emulating your every move. If you decide to play it small, they will play it small. But what if God has so much greater in store for both of you? Are you really content to allow yourself and others, to miss out on God’s Big because you were too scared to stop playing Small!? When you dim your light, people around you will follow you and dim theirs. But then what happens to the city whose supposed to be attracted to our light? Does everyone suffer in darkness because you’re too insecure and intimidated to brightly shine as God designed you to? Are you going to allow God’s Glory in and on your life to be covered by fear? Remember, people are watching you and following you, lead them well. Give them a better example to emulate. Show them what it looks like to be all that God called you to be. Show them what freedom really looks and feels like. Show them the blessing of letting the Holy Spirit use every gift He’s given you. Show them how powerful the anointing of God is on your life, so that they will desire the same thing. Stop Playing Small, When Your Big God has Given You a Big Role to Play in His Kingdom! 

And if you think that’s something, know when it comes to “…praise instead of a spirit of despair…”, God will grant you a “Habakkuk Anointing” that shouts, “Though the cherry trees don’t blossom and the strawberries don’t ripen, Though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, Though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty, I’M SINGING JOYFUL PRAISE TO GOD. I’M TURNING CARTWHEELS OF JOY TO MY SAVIOR GOD. COUNTING ON GOD’S RULE TO PREVAIL, I TAKE HEART AND GAIN STRENGTH. I RUN LIKE A DEER. I FEEL LIKE I’M KING OF THE MOUNTAIN!” (3:17-19 MSG).  

SO DON’T LOSE HEART, THE TUMBLER IS NOT DESIGNED TO TORTURE YOU, BUT TO TRANSFORM YOU!

The tumbler teaches you how to have a different perspective, even while enduring the process of transformation. Habakkuk was faced with trees with no ripe fruit; apples full of worms; a wheat field with stunted growth; sheep pens with no sheep; and cattle barns with no cattle! Truth is, if we were in his shoes we would feel justified in having ourselves a huge pity party, but not Habakkuk! When he had so much to complain about, he chose singing, praising and even cartwheels of joy! And why could he do that? Because he learned how to count on God’s rule to prevail! And that’s not easy when your circumstances, situations, and surroundings are telling you to run and hide under the covers of despair! But once you’ve endured the tumbler with all of its throwing you around like a rag doll, you’ll be amazed by how you can handle everything else! Once you survive going through the tumbler, you can go through anything! Remember, everything you’re facing is by God’s design to bring you out better than you went in. Don’t fight the process, don’t fight the pain, don’t fight God’s Transforming Tumbler!

“Ships are safe within the harbor, but is that what ships are for?” (Author Unknown). Listen: Pirates don’t attack ships that are safe at shore, which is probably why you want to stay there, BUT INSTEAD THEY ATTACK THE SHIPS WITH THE TREASURE THAT’S ALREADY OUT TO SEA (MOVING, GOING SOMEWHERE) WHY? BECAUSE THOSE SHIPS ARE LIVING PROOF THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO FIND TREASURE, CARRY TREASURE, AND LOCATE MORE TREASURE! [OK, This Is Going to Hurt, But It’s Also Going to Help]: IF YOU AREN’T DEALING WITH ANY ENEMY ATTACKS AT ALL, CHANCES ARE, YOU HAVEN’T FOUND ANY TREASURE, YOU AREN’T CARRYING ANY TREASURE AND YOU ARE CLUELESS AS TO WHERE ANY TREASURE IS LOCATED! IF THE ENEMY ISN’T TRYING TO STOP YOU, CHANCES ARE, YOU WEREN’T GOING ANYWHERE IN THE FIRST PLACE! IF HE’S NOT TRYING TO TAKE ANYTHING FROM YOU, CHANCES ARE, YOU DON’T HAVE NOTHING OF VALUE WORTH TAKING! THEREFORE, NO MATTER WHAT COMFORT ZONE YOU’VE DESIGNED FOR YOURSELF IT’S HIGH TIME YOU RE-DESIGN! YOU ARE NOT TO STAY AS YOU ARE! NO MORE SETTLING, NO MORE SHRINKING BACK IN FEAR, THERE’S GREATNESS TO GET TO, SO GET THERE! REMEMBER: PIRATES ATTACK WHERE THERE’S TREASURE, IF THEY’RE ATTACKING, REJOICE! IF NOT, GET OFF THE CLEARANCE RACK OF PROCRASTINATION, PITY, TEARS AND SELF LOATHING AND UP YOUR VALUE! YOU’VE BEEN SITTING ON THE SEASHORE LONG ENOUGH! STOP BEING FEARFUL, STOP BEING INTIMIDATED, STOP PROCRASTINATING, STOP BEING INSECURE, STOP BEING COMFORTABLE, STOP PLAYING SMALL! THERE’S A TREMENDOUS TREASURE THAT GOD IS TRYING TO GET INTO YOUR POSSESSION, BUT HE’S NOT GOING TO TRUST HIS TREASURE INTO A VESSEL TOO SCARED TO CARRY IT!

Remember This: “The cave you most fear to enter contains the greatest treasure.” (Joseph Campbell). And maybe that’s the case for you too! That thing you know you’re supposed to do, but you’ve been too fearful to do, just may hold the key to your treasure chest! Family, maybe it’s time you stopped fearing the cave! Because there’s an assignment in the cave! 1 Samuel 22:1-5, “So David got away and escaped to the Cave of Adullam. When his brothers and others associated with his family heard where he was, they came down and joined him. Not only that, but all who were down on their luck came around—losers and vagrants and misfits of all sorts. DAVID BECAME THEIR LEADER. There were about four hundred in all. Then David went to Mizpah in Moab. He petitioned the king of Moab, “Grant asylum to my father and mother until I FIND OUT WHAT GOD HAS PLANNED FOR ME.” David left his parents in the care of the king of Moab. They stayed there all through the time David was hiding out. The prophet Gad told David, “DON’T GO BACK TO THE CAVE. GO TO JUDAH…” (MSG) David was on the run from enemies and ran straight into an assignment from God in the cave! Not only were his family and people associated with his family in the cave, but there also came those who were down on their luck, losers and vagrants and misfits of all sorts, and David became their leader. Brothers and Sisters: As insignificant as you think you are, God sees you in a completely different light altogether! While David’s in the cave he’s assigned, unexpectedly on his part, 400 people in all for him to lead. Question: Who’s waiting on you to enter the cave so you can lead them out? Please know this: While you’re doubting yourself, they’re waiting; while you’re scared, they’re waiting; while you’re hiding, they’re waiting; while you’re waiting for someone else to do it, they’re all waiting on you! Some people will never find their place until you get into yours! You are the key puzzle piece to some people’s lives, and as long as you remain ‘missing’, they remain incomplete! Do you really want to give God an account of how you failed to carry out that assignment?! I think not! Know this, God isn’t looking for you to have it altogether either. Even David said, “…Until I Find Out What God Has Planned For Me.” God is simply waiting on your obedience, faith, works, action and trust to kick in so He can share the plan! You do remember that God has a plan right? Jeremiah 29:10-11, “…I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (MSG) God doesn’t need you to figure out a plan, He needs you to trust that He already has a plan! Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all…” (MSG) Saints, Trust God’s Plan, Trust God’s Process! And then, let us not forget the rest of the prophet’s instructions to David: “…DON’T GO BACK TO THE CAVE. GO TO JUDAH…” (MSG) Once you’ve fulfilled your assignment in the cave, you don’t stay there, you leave and go to Judah (the place of praise)! Listen, your praise is evidence that you trust God’s process and plan. It’s your gratitude that you express to God because He didn’t leave you in the cave, He processed you and promoted you, and all you had to do was trust the plan of God! Don’t you think today is a pretty good day to start that? Trust God’s Plan, Trust God’s Process, Enjoy God’s Promotion!

Now, here’s how God wants you to look when you come out of the tumbler: “…They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor.” (Isaiah 61:3 NIV) GOD WANTS TO USE THE TUMBLER TO MAKE YOU STRONG AND INDESTRUCTIBLE LIKE AN OAK! SUFFERING MAKES WIMPS INTO WARRIORS! AND HE WANTS TO USE THE TURBULENCE TO GIVE YOU SUCH A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM THAT YOU WILL BE A STAGE TO SHOW OFF HIS GLORY!They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.(Isaiah 61:4 NIV) If you dare to take on the turbulence of the tumbler, you’ll eventually find yourself “…rebuilding…restoring…and renewing…devastation that has taken place for generations…” When you submit to God’s transforming tumbler, He makes you into His tool that He will use to fix every generational curse of devastation in your family line and that of others! Can you imagine God using little old you to be His change agent in family lineages?! You could be in the position to say, ‘and that generational curse dies now and will not relive in not another generation!’ Sickness could stop with you; failure could stop with you; sin could stop with you; divorce could stop with; prison could stop with you; gangs could stop with you; disobedience could stop with you; addiction could stop with you; school drop outs could stop with you; financial distress could stop with you! Don’t You Want to be a Change Agent for God Used to Destroy Generational Curses?! After All, Who Doesn’t?! 

YOU’LL BE EQUIPPED BY THE HARD TIMES TO BE A DURABLE INSTRUMENT OF GOD IN REPAIRING DAMAGED LIVES! WHO DOESN’T WANT THAT AS THEIR TESTIMONY?  

“The tragedy of life is not found in failure but complacency. Not in you doing too much, but doing too little. Not in you living above your means, but below your capacity. It’s not failure but aiming too low, that is life’s greatest tragedy.” (Benjamin E. Mayes). 

THE SHAKING YOU’RE ENDURING, THE HITS YOU’RE TAKING ARE TOOLS IN GOD’S HANDS TO BRING OUT AN AMAZING BEAUTY IN YOU; A STRENGTH, A TENDERNESS, A MATURITY, A CONFIDENCE, A COMPASSION THAT COMES ONLY FROM BEING BEAUTIFIED IN GOD’S TUMBLER! So don’t wallow in the: “why is this happening?” drama series. Instead, keep asking, “How can God use this?” The reality is: “You can’t help someone get up a hill without getting closer to the top yourself.” (H. Norman Schwarzkopf). GOD WILL USE YOU IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS, BUT ONLY AFTER YOU’VE BEEN USED TO AID YOUR OWN DEVELOPMENT FIRST! So don’t despair when you keep running into things and things keep running into you, when your whole world is spinning and colliding. THIS ISN’T TO DESTROY YOU! THIS IS TO GIVE YOU A BEAUTY YOU’VE NEVER HAD BEFORE! IF YOU LET GOD HAVE HIS WAY IN THIS TURBULENCE, YOU WILL “DISPLAY HIS SPLENDOR” FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! 

Listen to the conclusion of Isaiah: Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.” I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” (vss 5-11 NIV) You my friend are a part of that inheritance. So, are you going to position yourself in God’s Transforming Tumbler so you can receive it, or are you going to allow your fears to cause you to forfeit?

Just think about it: Can you imagine if butterflies said, ‘no, I don’t think I can endure the process of transformation, it’s too dark, too hard, too painful, and too long. I’ll just stay in here. I know wings are waiting for me; I know the beautiful colors I’ll transform into; I know the heights I’ll be able to soar to, but no thanks, I’ll just die in this cocoon.’ Saints, don’t let this be your testimony. Yes, it will be dark, hard, painful, long, and even lonely, but it will be worth it!

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” (Carl Bard). People of God, YOU’RE COMING OUT BETTER THAN YOU WENT IN! AND IN THE WORDS OF THE MEN’S WEARHOUSE COMMERCIAL: “YOU’RE GOING TO LIKE THE WAY YOU LOOK, I GUARANTEE IT!”   

Church, Trust God’s Plan, Trust God’s Process, and Enjoy God’s Promotion!

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #BeTransformed
Feel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Health Benefits of Napping”

 

 

Leave a comment