Oswald Chambers once said: "God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience."
Isn't it exciting to think that God wants to make Himself known through our lives? God does not want us to be satisfied with mediocre Christian living; He wants to press us and "batter us into shape" so that His purpose for our lives may be accomplished.
This time two years ago, I was going through one of the hardest times of my life. Someone I was very close to was rebelling against God and making extremely bad choices, these choices would sometimes put me and my family in danger. We never really knew when the next "flare up" was going to happen. The fear was intense, I knew only God could bring us through it.
Through that dark time the Lord was incredibly faithful. I think it's in those moments that everything seems to be going wrong that we learn to totally trust Him. (And God heard all of our many prayers for that friend, who today lives a totally changed life by the amazing grace of God).
At the time, I could not see any good in the circumstance, yet as I look back I can see that God was majorly at work in my life. I was so dependent on myself; God shook that confidence. I relied on myself to become like Christ, the Lord showed me that there would be no lasting change in me without his power (John 15:5). I often forced a smile and told myself "I need to care for others." God taught me that I must be totally emptied of myself (my own agenda, my own desires) and be filled with Himself if I want to truly love those He has placed in my life.
"For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed." Isaiah 50:7
Are you following Christ with every ounce of who you are? Or are you holding back?
Chambers continues: "Ever since God gave us the vision, He has been at work. He is getting us into the shape of the goal He has for us, and yet over and over again we try to escape from the Sculptor's hand in an effort to batter ourselves into the shape of our own goal. The vision that God gives is not some unattainable castle in the sky, but a vision of what God wants you to be down here. Allow the potter to put you on His wheel and whirl you around as He desires. Then as surely as God is God, and you are you, you will turn out as an exact likeness of the vision. But don't loose heart in the process. If you have ever had a vision from God, you may try as you will to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never allow it."
Have a great day!
Cassidy
