E100: 92b – NOT BY SIGHT

We live by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:7

 

this verse reminds me of another E100 passage – E100:25

Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?" He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?" The captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.  Joshua 5:13-15

 

Joshua lifted his eyes…

sometimes we need to lift our eyes from our circumstances and our feet and our hands (our works) and look UP to God.

 

we live by faith, not by sight.  some versions say we WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT. 

we lift our eyes not to circumstance or what is before us and weighing us down, we lift our eyes not to discouragement and disappointment but we lift them up to God.  we don’t use our natural sight but we live with our eyes firmly fixed upon Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith and this is what keeps us putting one foot in front of the other, walking, by faith.

 

Life is filled with challenges that test our determination and our faith in God.  there are cities to conquer, walls to overthrow, sin to overcome, relationships that are strained, temptation to resist, flaws and shortcomings that threaten to derail us.  we are our own worst enemies, wanting to follow God but wanting to satisfy our flesh.  Yay that we have victory and forgiveness and acceptance and righteousness through Christ Jesus, who calls us to walk the walk and to follow Him in the way we live our lives.  He begins by renewing our hearts, and then from that flows our behaviour.  We are saved by grace, and then we respond with obedience.

 

 

in my night time reading i have just read a series of psalms that mention lifting our eyes:

Psalm 121:1 A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?

Psalm 123:1 A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.

2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Colossians 3:1  Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

 

there is just “something” about lifting our eyes, about looking with a different perspective and vantage point. 

 

i will lift my eyes from my i cants, to God’s i can

i will lift my eyes from my limitations, to God’s nothing is impossible

i will lift my eyes from my flaws, to God’s gift of forgiveness and righteousness through Christ

i will lift my eyes from my loneliness, to God’s promise that He is with me

i will lift my eyes from my exhaustion, to God’s invitation to come

i will lift my eyes from my excuses, to God’s encouragement that i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

we walk by faith.

Broken Jars of Clay

I love the account in Judges 7 of Gideon and the men. They held in their hands jars of clay with torches in them. They stormed into the Midianite Camp and broke the jars that were in their hands – other things happened but to surmise the Midianites fled.   I just posted on this earlier but knew i had this hiding somewhere else so have hunted high and low to share it!

“It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the one hundred men with him reached the outer edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the horns and broke their clay jars. Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands and shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran. When the three hundred Israelites blew their horns, the LORD caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords.” (Judges 7:19-22 NLT)

A prophetic lady Sandy Warner wrote the following in 2001 (see her website http://www.thequickenedword.com)the following is just a segment but I wanted to highlight the part about jars of clay.

WEAK INSTRUMENT – A BROKEN CLAY JAR The instruments that the Lord used to defeat these Midianites are amazing. They carried hidden fire inside clay jars which they brought into the enemy’s camp. It was not until these jars were broken that their torches blazed. Of course the jars of clay are us and the light is Jesus Christ and His fiery passion within us. When we are broken and vulnerable before the Lord and before our enemies, we are in the place where God wants us to SHINE.

2 Corinthians 4:7 “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”

E100: 92 – JAR OF CLAY

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all- surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

 

 

 

i believe that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.  but the characteristic or the heartbeat often overlooked in those people is the desire to be poured out, the surrender to Jesus, the laying down their own lives and living wholeheartedly for their Lord.  its not status quo living.  its not blending in.  its not a life of compromise.   its devotion.  love.   response.  if you want to be mightily used by God to change your world or THE world then develop an attitude of surrender.  develop a lifestyle of devotion.   this is i believe what makes the difference between ordinary and extraordinary.

i believe that the person God uses is the one that says YES.

the one who has the faith to believe that God calls and can use them and will them

because HE is GREAT and GOOD

and because HE works in and through us

i believe that the person God uses allows God to be glorified and exalted, not themselves and their own efforts

i believe i am living as a jar of clay, so that the reality of God may be demonstrated

i believe that the person God uses is the one that steps out and trusts in God’s power and empowerment

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

 

We carry weight when God fills us. Then we are “big.” As John the Baptist said, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). God does not choose the cleverest people, but those who are “rich in faith” (Heb 11) Reinhard Bonnke

 

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things— and the things that are not— to nullify the things that are, so that no-one may boast before him.   It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God— that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.  1 Corinthians 1:27-31

i am not ashamed to say i fit into those categories.

 

but i choose not to be limited by my weakness because i know that God calls me and uses me and works through me and that any good and great i do is because HE is good and great to me and through me.  i choose to say YES GOD, HERE AM I, USE ME

 

Our God can work through means or above them. He that puts the treasure into earthen vessels often allows the vessels to be chipped and broken, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. ~ Robert Murray McCheyne

 

we are created by God. Chosen by God. Loved by God. Designed by God. Purposed by God.

HIS is the voice you need to listen to when defining who you are.

He knows us inside out and upside down, how many hairs we have on our head and how many hairs we have on our toes.

God has called each one of us to be ambassadors and witnesses – to shine His light into the world so that people will see God in the darkness.  it is God who saves and draws people to Himself but He demonstrates His love and grace and lives out salvation in us.

God has qualified and empowered each one of us to do this momentous task.  It should be done every day in every conversation in every opportunity.  Its not something we turn off or turn on.  We ARE witnesses.  We ARE the light of the world, unhidden and shinning bright.

we may feel insignificant and unqualified – but remember – We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. The real power comes from God – we are the vessel and God is the light that shines – we are the life that expresses the power of God and message of God – as we humble ourselves and draw near to God and pray THEN we are usable.  God delights to use His children to reach the lost.  As we step out in faith His power enables us and gives us the right words.

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.