Jars of Broken Clay

There are times in life when we feel like a broken clay jar. We feel like we have no strength to continue on. We feel so helpless and afraid and sad and there looks like there is no hope for the future. This can happen when we go through something sad or even when we realize how imperfect we are. Well I'm going to share a little message for both.

When your life has taken you through something saddening you feel as if you should give up on your future. We become blinded to the escape door that is right in front of us. But don't fear. That escape door will lead you to a place of comfort and rest. A place of restoration for your body and your soul. The events and facts will not leave you, but when you walk through that door you will find a perfect paradise where you will fall into God's unfailing arms of love. It is in those arms that we are renewed and restored and we can see hope for our future. Once you're in this place there will be things that will try to take you out of there but remember that you have never felt as revived and whole as when you are in God's sanctuary. Stay in that sanctuary. Stay in that love. Stay in that peace. Though the things of life will try to destroy us we can stand on faith, hope and love to guide us through our life.

Now there's another image of a jar of broken clay. It's of a little jar, placed high on a shelf with cracks and holes. This jar cannot hold oil but it is used for something even more precious. Within this imperfect jar of clay is kept the most precious of diamonds, the most rarest of jewels; a one of a kind beauty! This jar is kept in a clay shop. The owner is unaware of the true jewel found inside this broken clay jar and so he placed the jar on the top shelf so that no one can look at it's brokenness and imperfection.

You know God does not look at our outward appearance but He looks at our hearts. He sees the gem within each of us, the priceless jewel that defines who we are. But God doesn't just want that gem, He wants all of us! He will come into that store, see that broken jar on the highest shelf, take it down and dust it off. He'll say "I want this one to be at the front of the house. I want to show this one off to all my friends and I want this one to be of great value in My house!" Then He will ask for a price. The owner will say it's free and God will say "No I will pay full price for this." The owner looks at him and says that the jar is worth $10, but God will place $100 on the counter. He will pick the little jar off of the counter and will tip it over. Then out comes the most beautiful jewel anyone had ever seen! The owner is shocked and ashamed at himself for never realizing that this jar contained something so valuable! Then God places the jewel back in the jar, thanks the man and walks out the front door.

God wants all of us, not just our hearts. What a beautiful thing, to know that God will take us just as we are.

The Penny

So some things happened recently that really got me thinking. I was praying for this "situation" that happened really recently when God kinda placed a whole sermon in my head in about 3 seconds. It was kinda neat.

Luke 15:8-10 "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

So here's this woman who has 10 silver coins. This probably means that she wasn't all that rich. She had a family to feed, she needed to get the grain for the fields and whatever else she needs to get as a wife. So when she loses that one coin it's a big deal.

Think of this parable as if we, humans, were those coins. Sometimes we get bumped around, scratched, dusty and very worn down. We then get lost within the world and begin to feel very down on ourselves. Then we fall through a crack and are stuck there, unable to get out on our own.

Maybe you've felt like that sometime in your life. I know I have. But there is hope because you see you are very precious to God and He will light a lamp (shine light in the darkness) and come running to our rescue. Then He picks us up, dusts us off, rubs us down until we shine with our silver luster and places us in a permanent, safe spot so we can never get lost again. But He doesn't just restore us, He rejoices in our return to Him!!! The angels in Heaven celebrate when we return to Him with a huge feast because you are special, valuable, cherished, precious, and wonderful!! There is nothing that can give you so much satisfaction than being protected in God's arms of love :)

Blessings!!!

Faith + Works = Success/Happiness/Blessings/Joy/Rewards!!!

The Bible tells us in James 2:20 that faith without works is dead. There are two ways to interpret this, but both ways come to the same answer.

1.) Believing but not actually doing or working wont get you anywhere.
2.) Works with no faith will not lead to the true rewards & success!

I recently learned this lesson through an amazing experience.

Two years ago I had started asking God where I should go to college and the answer that I got back was Bethel University. A rush of emotions and thoughts bombarded me right then. I'm like "God Bethel is a GREAT! school but it's like $36,000 a year to go there (tuition is actually $24,000) - there is no way that I can afford to go there!" His reply "So you don't trust Me to provide for you?" Oh Eliana, how could you underestimate the Power and Might and Awesomeness of God?!!! So I changed my mind and heart and believed that God would provide for me...probably one of the best choices I've made in my life.

Shortly after this I was reading a book about drawing close to God and I came along this cool little quote, "Where God guides He also provides." So for a year and a half I prayed that every night, truly believing it. But in the mean time I spent my days working very hard at school. I knew that if I could get good enough grades I would get a great scholarship (a little foreshadowing here).

So it was this last April that my mom was driving me to a softball game when she threw a question at me, "What would you think about me getting a job at Bethel?" My reply "YES! - scream!" So my mom went through the entire process and she got a call back saying they would love to interview her for this amazing job in the Seminary at Bethel.

Two days leading up to her interview I had to really believe that this was what God wanted for her and for me. I fasted and prayed for two days.

May 9, 2009 - My mom came to pick me up from school, had a large Caribou coffee in the car, handed me a folded piece of paper. I opened it up to the words "Congratulations!!!" - I went hysterical! Lol!

So in October I sent in my application to Bethel. Got my acceptance two days before Thanksgiving!

Christmas Eve I received another letter from Bethel...basically said "Congratulations! We're giving you $9,500 scholarship! Your academics were wonderful and we just wanted to help you out."

God blessed me! Since my mom works at Bethel I'll get tuition break my second year there plus the $9,500 that is renewable every year!

Now I'm not sharing all this to brag about my success and my blessings and make it all about me. But I want this to show others that they need to have faith and work hard because that will reap the greatest harvest. But not just academically; you also need to do it spiritually. You need to walk your talk! You can't believe in what the Bible says and not walk it yourself - it just wont work. People will think you're a hypocrite and that there's no point to having a relationship with Jesus. Go out there and walk your talk! Remember, faith without works is dead! So keep it alive with faith & works. Blessings!