“Turning a MESS Into a MASTERPIECE”

“Then I [Jeremiah] went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.” (Jeremiah 18:3-6)

If you’re asking today, “Why am I going through all that I’m going through?” the answer is, you’re “IN THE HAND OF THE POTTER!”  

Knowing that alone helps, especially when you’re on the wheel and everything in your life seems to be spinning and spiraling completely out of control! I use the word “seems”, because in Actuality, your life is not spinning and spiraling completely out of control. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS LOOK UNDER THE TABLE AND SEE WHOSE FOOT IS ON THE WHEEL! “…behold, HE (THE POTTER) wrought a work ON THE WHEELS” Many of us have seen wheels spin on bikes, motorcycles, cars, trains and the like, and when those wheels get to spinning, if you stare at them long enough it can make you dizzy! The speed is swift as it goes around and around in circles! And sometimes, as believers, that’s how our lives feel when God has His foot on the potter’s wheel! Everything feels like it’s spinning completely out of control, but the potter has been doing this far too long to not know how to control the speed of the spin! And God likewise, has not loss control of your life even when the marriage, kids, family, job, finances, health, business and church all seem to be spinning at 200 MPH in all different directions at the exact same time! But be encouraged, the Potter’s foot knows how to handle the speed of the wheel!

“…behold, HE (THE POTTER) WROUGHT a work on the wheels.” Now the word “Wrought” means “Beaten Out Or Shaped By Hammering.” This may hurt you, but it will eventually help you, listen, the pain you THINK is the devil, is REALLY JUST THE POTTER RESHAPING YOU! Think about it, IF THE ENEMY HAD BEEN IN CONTROL OF YOUR SITUATION, HE’D HAVE THROWN YOU OFF THE WHEEL A LONG TIME AGO! BUT HE CAN’T, BECAUSE THE POTTER CONTROLS THE PROCESS, THE WHEELS AND THE WROUGHT! And all this time you’ve been giving the devil credit for a work he didn’t do! The devil wants to steal, kill and destroy you, not work on you for the better! Yes, the hammering hurts, it’s painful, it’s difficult, it’s uncomfortable, but it’s God’s process! And most important, the Hammer is in the Hand of God! Which should serve as great encouragement to you that no hurt, harm or hindrance will come of it. He’s simply shaping you to become the masterpiece He already designed you to be! Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].” (AMP) That’s what all the hammering is about! It’s transforming us, renewing us, and making us ready to be used by God for good works as His workmanship, His own Master Work, His own Work of Art! And you really thought the devil was behind all of that goodness?! Absolutely not! Stop adding skills to the devil’s resume for work he couldn’t and didn’t do!

But listen to what the devil would have you focus on: “… And the vessel that he made of clay was MARRED in the hand of the potter…” The devil doesn’t want you to focus on the Masterpiece God is creating you to be, he wants you to focus on the fact that you’ve become Marred in the Potter’s Hand! But what he doesn’t know however, is that God is Monitoring Your Every Move! Now, I know how messed up you think you are because you’ve been “Marred”, but understand that when something is “Marred” it’s defined as “to Harm the Appearance or Quality of.” And let’s be honest, the devil isn’t trying to simply HARM YOU, OR HARM YOUR APPEARANCE, OR HARM YOUR QUALITY, he’s trying to DESTROY YOU! Which is why the Bible forewarns us: “THE THIEF’S PURPOSE IS TO STEAL, KILL AND DESTROY…” (John 10:10 TLB). THEREFORE, IF IT WAS THE DEVIL’S FOOT ON THE WHEEL, YOU WOULD BE DEAD BY NOW! But since he can’t kill you, he tries to distract you by getting you to focus on stuff that matters to you, but doesn’t matter to God, stuff like your marring, your mess up, your mistakes, and especially your past! But beloved, before you go and lose heart, know this, you’re simply “Marred” and Fortunately, God is Not Intimated By Your “Marring”. He’s not intimidated by the clay regardless of where He finds it or how flawed and out of shape it is. Truth is: WE SERIOUSLY GIVE OUR PAST WAY TOO MUCH POWER, BECAUSE GOD IS NOT AT ALL INTIMIDATED BY IT OR WHAT IT HAS CAUSED US TO LOOK LIKE! He’s not intimidated by our past promiscuity, addictions, mess-ups, screw-ups, or mistakes. He’s not intimidated by our ex friends, lovers or spouses. He’s committed to working on us until we become what He wants or better yet, “As Seemed Good to the Potter…”  

Listen: I don’t care what you’ve done, who you did it with, how long you did it or where, no man has the right or authority to hold you captive by your past, neither the devil, not even you! Your “Marring” did not mess you up for all eternity! There is no accidental mistake, or deliberate bad decision that you’ve ever made (or will make) that the Potter cannot make over into what seems Good to Him! You still have use, you still have value, you still have worth, you still have purpose! So let nothing and no one (not even YOU) allow your past to make you believe that you have no future! The Word of God still holds true for you, regardless to your past: “This is God’s Word on the subject…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.” (Jeremiah 29:10-11 MSG). In the words of my pastor, you need to start saying daily to yourself: “I SEE MYSELF IN THE FUTURE AND THINGS LOOK SO MUCH BETTER. I’M EXPECTING A MIRACLE, AND MY MIRACLE IS EXPECTING ME!” (Bishop James R. Chambers). So you see, if God Himself is not hindered by your Past, why should you be? “He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:12 TLB). Therefore, marred vessels, keep moving forward, “Marred” and all! God can still make you the light of the world, no matter how dark your past was! God Still Uses Cracked Pots!

Listen: A water bearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole, which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it. While the other pot was perfect, and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the mistress’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to her master’s house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream: “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.” Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?” “I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your mistress’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said. The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in her compassion she said, “As we return to the mistress’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? “That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. “For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my mistress’s table. Without you being just the way you are, she would not have this beauty to grace her house.”

Moral of the story: Just as the water bearer knew of the flaw in the cracked pot, God knows about our flaws too. The water bearer continued to use the cracked pot, knowing full well of its flaws, and God uses us just the same, even with full knowledge of our every flaw! It’s US who focus on our flaws more than we focus on fulfilling our purpose in God.

For example, Benjamin felt small; Gideon felt insignificant; Moses felt his speech hindered him from being God’s mouthpiece, and yet God used each of them in a big way, flaws and all, and He’s using you the same way! God never asks for our perfection, just our availability. The question is, are we willing to give God our flaws that He may use them to bring Himself Glory?

Think about the above story, the perfect pot delivered a pail full of water. And that’s what it was designed to do. But the cracked pot was designed to deliver water, AND purposed to water the seeds that the water bearer would sow along the journey. So the mistresses house received from the cracked pot, water and flowers for her home. God can do more with your imperfections than He can with your false views and attempts of perfection. Just ask God to use you, available, cracked you. I promise you’ll be amazed by the harvest that’s produced in the lives of others because you gave God your cracked water pot to use!

To take it further, bear in mind: John 1:12 “As many as received him, to them gave he power TO BECOME the sons of God.” ALWAYS REMEMBER: THE BATTLE IS OVER WHO AND WHAT YOU’RE BECOMING! Regardless of what you’ve been up until now, GOD SEES IN YOU THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME! And what are you to become? “…a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21). Listen: When you see a can’t in yourself, GOD SEES A “CAN”. When you see a won’t in yourself, GOD SEES A “WILL”. When you see a don’t in yourself, GOD SEES A “DO” When you see a shouldn’t in yourself, GOD SEES A “SHOULD”.

GOD WILL ALWAYS PUT YOUR POTENTIAL ON A PEDESTAL!

IN OTHER WORDS, HE WILL ALWAYS LIFT UP WHAT YOU WILL BE, NOT WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN!

Cracks and all, you are still becoming “…a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

Highlight for yourself from John 1:12, “to them gave He Power TO BECOME…” That’s what the devil is after to destroy, WHAT YOU WILL BECOME! Don’t let him do it! Don’t let the devil distract or discourage you! Stay focused on what God Said no matter what the devil would want you to See! You are Becoming a wonderful, useful, cracked vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for your Master’s use, for He is preparing you for every good work! Do not lose sight of the big picture, stay focused on what you are becoming! 

In a Nutshell: The devil’s not intimidated by your Caterpillar stage, because you’re on the ground, low, at his level, defeated, and struggling to crawl by. But what intimidates him is your Butterfly stage, because you then Possess the Ability to Fly, to Soar, to Excel, and to Reach Altitudes He Can’t Reach! You see, some snakes can sliver through trees, but when it reaches a certain height, it can reach no further. But the Butterfly Isn’t Limited to Where the Tree Top Stops! And Neither Are You! That’s why you can’t get distracted from what you’re becoming! Children of God, it’s time for you to soar, but if you keep allowing your past, the devil, discouragement, and low self-worth to hinder you, you’ll remain in a cocoon with undeveloped wings that were designed and destined to soar! You were never meant to stay on this level! The cocoon is only for a time period, then you break out of it fully developed and soar to new heights!

“The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hind’s feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!…” (Habakkuk 3:19 AMP)

You were made for high places, so stop settling for low positions!

Notice also, that even though the vessel was “Marred”, It Was Still In The Potter’s Hand! God Never Throws Us Away, Nor Is His Plan For Us Thwarted Because We Have a Flaw of Struggle in Certain Areas! Understand that whether you’re being lifted from the mud, turned on the wheel or made over again, At All Times You Are In His Hand, And Always Will Be! “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall Never Perish, Neither Shall Any Man Pluck Them Out of My Hand.” (John 10:28) SO, BE ENCOURAGED: YOU ARE IN THE POTTER’S HANDS, AND HIS HANDS NEVER STOP WORKING!” “But Jesus said, “MY FATHER HAS NEVER STOPPED WORKING…” (John 5:17 CEV) Therefore, even if you continue to mar in the master’s hand, which you will as long as you are still flesh and blood, but the good news is, that can’t hinder the Hand of God on your life! From birth to death and everything in between, God never stops working on you and your life! So even when you make more mistakes, and even deliberate sinful choices, God never stops working on you! Don’t let the devil, your past, or yourself make you believe anything different! There is nothing about you or your life or your past that is powerful enough to Hinder the Hand of God’s Work!

I found yet another little nugget too! Did you know the word “Smith” in “Silversmith” comes from the Old English word “Smite”? Well, in case you didn’t know, Silversmiths are very Accomplished Smiters! AND SO IS GOD! You see, the word “Smite” is defined as “Striking a Firm Blow”. In other words, God Knows the Weight of the Hammer and the Force of the Blow Required to Produce In You Christ-Like Character! And absolutely no one yanks the hammer out of His hand and says, “Go easy on that silver; you’ve pounded it enough!” No, He Buffets the Metal Until He’s Finished With It! And when you “Buffet” something, it means you “Strike It Repeatedly and Violently”. In other words, there is a Determination on the part of the Silversmith to Beat the Silver Into the Design He Envisioned It To Be! And He Will Beat It Until It Conforms to What He has Constructed in His Mind! He Will Beat it Until the Blueprint Comes Off the Pages and Stands Before Him Fully Erected! He Will Beat it Until He Sees With His Eyes What He Saw in His Thoughts! And the Same Goes For You!  

Too often we forget He’s Our Heavenly FATHER! And unlike today, Daddies of old didn’t spare the rod, nor spoil the child! So, keep in mind: He’s Your God, but He’s Also Your FATHER! “But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; A FATHER’S DELIGHT IS BEHIND ALL OF THIS.” (Proverbs 3:12 MSG); “For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.” (Hebrews 12:6 AMP)

Please Understand that Your God Will Bless You, But Never Forget, Your Father Will Buffet You Too!

In the end, God Alone Knows Exactly What You’re to Look Like. He Was the One that Gathered All Your Materials BEFORE Time! “BEFORE I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. BEFORE you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations—THAT’S WHAT I HAD IN MIND FOR YOU” (Jeremiah 1:5 MSG). BEFORE YOU BEGAN, HE ALREADY KNEW HOW YOU’D END! SO STOP FRETTING! HE ALREADY KNOWS HOW FABULOUS YOUR FINISHED PRODUCT LOOKS!

I know the Blows come Fast and Hard, and it seems like they’ll never end, but you have to Trust that God Knows What He’s Doing! 

However, sadly enough, I wish I could tell you that after the Hammering and Buffeting is Done You’re Finished, BUT…then there has to be POLISHING!  And when you “Polish” something you “Make It Smooth and Shiny By Continuously Rubbing It!” And the Best of Silversmiths will tell you that they Keep Polishing UNTIL THEY CAN SEE THEIR FACE IN THE FINISHED PRODUCT! So, When Will God Stop Polishing You? When He Sees His Nature and His Likeness Reflected In You! In other words, when He looks at you, He ought to see, Integrity, Faithfulness, Dedication, Power, Consecration, Diligence, Obedience, Honor, Loyalty, Leadership, Commitment and the like. He ought to see “…the Fruit of the Spirit…Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance…” (Galatians 5:22-23). 

Simply put, He’s Done When He Looks At You And Sees Himself! 

And if we’re all to be Real Honest, God Is No-Where Near Finished Smiting, Buffeting or Polishing Any Of Us! Jesus said, “My Father Never Stops Working.” Therefore, you need to understand that: The Pounding You Feel Doesn’t Suggest God’s Distance, It Proves His Nearness! So Stop Attributing Everything to the Devil! 

Lastly, after a lifetime of walking with God, Joshua said, “Not a Word Failed of Any Good Thing Which the Lord Had Spoken…All Came to Pass.” (Joshua 21:45 NKJV). 

Understand that Whatever God Has Spoken Over Your Life, He’s Not Stopping Until He Sees It “All Come to Pass”! And If That Takes Smiting, Buffeting and Polishing…He’s Committed To Doing Whatever It Takes, For However Long It Takes and No Matter How Painful It Will Be…”Not A Word Failed Of Any Good Thing Which The Lord Had Spoken…All Came To Pass!” He’s Still Working On You Because All That He Has Spoken Has Yet To Manifest In Your Life! And He Has To Keep His Word! So Endure The Wheel, the Spinning, the Hammering, the Smiting, the Buffeting and the Polishing! In The End It Will Be Worth It To Possess All God Has Promised You! God is the Greatest of Silversmiths. Trust Him as you imagine what you’re going to look like When He’s All Done…In the meantime, Remember: The Potters Hands Are Not Finished Molding You Yet! So, Don’t Be Discouraged In The Process, You Will Produce Something Great After This Is All Over!  

People of God, you are becoming a vessel of honor in the Master’s Hand and for the Master’s use, cracks, flaws, imperfections and all. So, don’t hate the process, because you’re going to love the end product!

As Painful as This is, Be Encouraged My Friend You May Have Been Marred, but Now You’re Being Molded and Made Into a Masterpiece Cracked Vessel of Honor for the Master’s Use and Glory!

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWordFeel free to also join us at: http://www.selfcarewithdrshermaine.blogspot.com Today’s Lesson: “Blood Sugar Basics: Terms You Should Know”

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“God’s Transforming Rock Tumbler”

 

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”