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1 Oh, that you would rip open the heavens and descend, make the mountains shudder at your presence - 2 As when a forest catches fire, as when fire makes a pot to boil - 3 To shock your enemies into facing you, make the nations shake in their boots! You did terrible things we never expected, descended and made the mountains shudder at your presence. 4 Since before time began no one has ever imagined, No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him. 5 You meet those who happily do what is right, who keep a good memory of the way you work. But how angry you've been with us! We've sinned and kept at it so long! Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved? 6 We're all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up like autumn leaves - sin-dried, we're blown off by the wind. 7 No one prays to you or makes the effort to reach out to you Because you've turned away from us, left us to stew in our sins. 8 Still, God, you are our Father. We're the clay and you're our potter: All of us are what you made us. 9 Don't be too angry with us, O God. Don't keep a permanent account of wrongdoing. Keep in mind, please, we are your people - all of us. (Isaiah 64:1-9 The Message Bible)
A blessed and wonderful Wednesay to you, dear Reader. May the Lord reveal to us more of His love for us and may He impart wisdom to us to better understand His word for us. May it move us to a point of action and service, and may our hearts be filled with God's profound love that the world cannot understand!
I write this on Tuesday. Earlier today our daughter sent us a very clear 4D photo of grandchild number seven. Nellie and I are very blessed and we anxiously await the arrive of grandson number four. In the image, she placed her two older sons side by side and we are just blown away at what this little one looks like, and how much he looks like big brothers Liam and Eli. We both believe he looks more like Liam in some ways. What he will look like of course will not be revealed until he makes his arrival in March. How far we have come in science. I am old enough to remember not even knowing the sex of our children until their arrival and it didn't hamper my joy and excitement at their moment of joining the family. The prophet is expressing his desire to have God make His presence better known, even as in a face-to-face appearance. Many, through the ages, have said that things would be so much easier if only God would reveal His face. I think that would not make much of a difference, for there would still be those naysayers who would take issue with this or that, and still declare any appearance of God as not being real or relevant. Like Isaiah, we long for God to reveal Himself in extraordinary ways, to intervene in our lives and circumstances with awe-inspiring power. We yearn for a divine encounter that will shake the very foundations of our existence and bring us face-to-face with the Almighty.
We yearn for the divine intervention that will transform our lives and make the world aware of His sovereignty. We long for a revelation of God's greatness, a demonstration of His power that will leave us awestruck and trembling. Yet, In our longing for His presence, we're reminded of our imperfections and the sin that separates us from Him. We recognize our inadequacy, like dried leaves blown away by the wind, and we realize the desperate need for God's divine touch to renew and reshape us.
Yet, amidst our failings, we hold onto the hope that God, our Father, is the potter shaping our lives. We trust that even in our brokenness, He can mold us anew and bring forth something beautiful from the ashes. You and I can share countless stories of how God has, and will, continue to bless us in unexpected, and unexplainable ways. In my case, as an example, Nellie and I drove around the campus of my alma mater, Southwestern University earlier today. Nellie remarked that I was blessed to have received an education from such a prestigious institution such as Southwestern, and indeed I was. It was a dream held first by my Dad, who always told us we would attend and graduate from college, and that was echoed by my Mom; how it would come to be I would list under the blessings too awesome to explain. We need only point heavenward and shrug. I long believed that miracles were meant to bless us for our benefit and enjoyment, and no explanation is necessary. How about you?
We can conclude our study with saying that we indeed, are the work of God's hands. He is the potter and we are the clay. And guess what, the work is still in progress! Ask God to guide you to being that which God desires for you, and one day the finished result will blow you away!
PRAYER: Loving Potter, our souls cry out for Your presence to descend and shake the mountains, but shake us as well. We acknowledge our sinfulness and shortcomings, yet we trust in Your power to renew and reshape us. Mold us according to Your will, O God, and reveal Your glory in our lives. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Let God shape you.
Receive my blessings of love and peace. I love you and thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
