Romans 9:21
"Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" (NIV)
Prayer starter:
As you start your coloring meditation today, I invite you reflect for a moment about your perception of yourself. If you visited a pottery store full of all kinds of pottery, from humble flower pots to the most elaborate vases or urns, where would you see yourself? Would you be one of the fancy products or do you see yourself more as a simple, but functional vessel? Do you maybe consider yourself a basic model but secretly wish that you were one of the artistic models that are greatly admired by many people? Do you look at the fancy models with a hint of envy or are you possibly too dazzled by their external beauty?
The Bible tells us in several places that even though God loves all who live according to His way, He did not make everyone to be the same. Romans 12:6, for example, states that "we have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us." And the verse you are coloring today illustrates this point quite well with the Divine Potter's use of clay. Some pottery is created for a noble purpose and some for a common use. If you look at the picture, you will realize that, quite intentionally, there are more simple flower pots than fancy vases. I think that's how it is in reality and that is how God wants it to be. The main question we should be asking ourselves is not "Am I the best-looking, most noble piece of pottery in the shop?" but rather "Am I fulfilling the purpose for which I was created to the best of my ability?"
Have these thoughts changed your perception of the type of pottery you see yourself as? Or the type of pottery you maybe wish you were? If you are still envious of the elaborate artistic urns, it might help you to consider that fancy urns are often used for the ashes of the dead, whereas humble flower pots can serve to grow new life.
Be Brightly Blessed!
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Jeremiah 1:9
"Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, 'I have put my words in your mouth'." (NIV)
Prayer starter:
I find this verse very comforting for two reasons: first, I am a visual person. I learn and remember best with visual cues. The image of God putting His words into my mouth is very vivid and encouraging to me. When I am faced with a difficult situation that has me struggling for words, I find comfort in visualizing God or the Holy Spirit actually putting the right words in my mouth. HIS words, not my words. Secondly, I tend to feel like I put my foot in my mouth more often than I would care to admit. I often have good intentions to encourage someone, but somehow what I say comes out wrong or does not convey what I meant. Sometimes I realize after the fact that the words I used could be interpreted way differently than I intended them. So I often ask God to put HIS words in my mouth. This certainly applies before difficult conversations, but also in everyday life. I don't want my words to be hurtful, but I want them to be truthful. Sometimes that is a treacherous balance that only the Holy Spirit can negotiate. In the New Testament, Jesus assures his disciples that if they are arrested, God will give them the right words: ". . . do not worry about what to say or how to say it. . . . you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." (Matthew 10:19-20).
As you are coloring today, think about your words and the impact they can have on others. Are you facing a difficult conversation and don't know what to say? Do you have good intentions and still feel like you are not saying the right thing sometimes? Ask God to put the right words in your mouth. If it helps you, visualize God's words being placed in your mouth, just as they were placed in the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah. Ask God to give you the right words to speak truth with love--and then for your words to be received in truth and love in the heart of the person who receives them.
Be Brightly Blessed!
To print out the images, use Explorer or Mozilla. The Google dialog box apparently does not allow for a full-page printout. Set the printer orientation to "Landscape."
Acts 10:34-35
"I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right." (NIV)
Prayer starter:
This is a very pertinent verse in today's political climate. There is a rather epic battle going on between the let's-hate-everybody-who-is-not-like-us camp and the let's-love-EVERYBODY camp. This verse makes it pretty clear that we should be somewhere in between. Our nationality does not matter to God. Where you are from or what you look like, on the OUTSIDE, does not matter to God. But He cares very strongly about what is on the INSIDE. He sets two conditions: 1. you must "fear him," i.e. respect and obey his commandments, and 2. you must "do what is right." With these two Bible-given conditions, it is impossible to belong to either of the battle camps mentioned above. You cannot hate other people just because they are different. Jesus made that abundantly clear in his ministry. He associated with and cared for people of other nations (e.g. Samaritans), as well as people who were shunned by mainstream society (e.g. tax collectors, cripples). The let's-hate-everybody-who-is-not-like-us camp likes to label people who don't agree with them as "unAmerican" or "unpatriotic" but the beliefs of this group clearly conflict with Acts 10:34-35 (and many other Bible verses).
On the other end of the spectrum is the let's-love-EVERYBODY camp, which does not represent a Christian view either. Jesus told us to "love one another" (John 13:34), but he also made it very clear in his ministry that people need to make every effort to satisfy the two conditions of fearing God and doing what is right. The let's-love-EVERYBODY camp conveniently tends to ignore these same two conditions, demanding that we not only love everybody, but by extension condone their behavior, even if it disagrees with God's commandments or is not "what is right." If we disagree with people's behaviors, we are labeled as "haters" by this camp.
While you color this verse today, you might want to think about where you are on this spectrum of opposites. Do you lean more towards one end or the other? Have you rejected people because of where they came from or what they looked like on the outside? Or have you loved people whose behavior went counter to Bible-based beliefs without making it clear to them that you did not condone their behavior? Are you afraid of being labeled a "hater" if you speak up against homosexuality or abortion? This is a difficult and treacherous battleground to tread if you truly want to follow Bible-based guidance. Ask God for wisdom, strength, and kindness in handling these issues in real life.
Be Brightly Blessed!
To print out the images, use Explorer or Mozilla. The Google dialog box apparently does not allow for a full-page printout. Set the printer orientation to "Landscape."
