Can God Depend On You
Scripture Reference: Jeremiah 18:1-3 (KJV)
Jeremiah 18:1-3 1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there will I cause thee to hear my words. 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
INTRODUCTION
I received an email the other day as I do so often and it contained a story that I found quit interesting and I would like to share it with you. Notice in this story the major problem lies in the obedience.
Look Beyond The Package
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college.
For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s
showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all
he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his
father had purchased the car.
Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into
his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine
son, and told him how much he loved him.
He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat
disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man’s name embossed in gold.
Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your
money you give me a Bible? and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He
had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very
old, and thought perhaps he should go to him.
He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make
arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed
away, and willed all of his possessions to his son.
He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled
his heart. He began to search through his father’s important papers and saw
the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago.
With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father
had carefully underlined a verse,
Matt 7:11, "And if ye, being evil know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more shall your Heavenly father which is in heaven,
give to those who ask Him?"
As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible.
It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car he
had desired.
On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN
FULL.
How many times do we miss God’s blessings because they are not packaged
as we expected?
I pray that you enjoyed this passage as much as I did. I also pray that you saw how the lack of total trust and obedience can hold us back from some great gifts. We have to be more than just able to do the will of God we have to be willing to do what God desires for us to do. No matter what it looks like if God said it and you believe it then you have to stick with it. If this young man had only had the obedience to move forward on what looked to be nothing out of the ordinary he would have been blessed with an extraordinary gift.
MAIN BODY
Normally when we look at today’s passage of scripture we look at how God ministered to Jeremiah. We see how God was able to get his point across with the use of the potter and his trials. Today let’s look at how God used the potter to minister to Jeremiah. Note that there was nothing special about the potter. (Verse 2 Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there will I cause thee to hear my words. )
Not only was there nothing special about the potter but there was really nothing special about his craft. Potters were on every corner in those times. Pottery was very helpful in the everyday life of the people. If one were to break a piece of pottery all that this would mean would be that he had to make a trip to the corner pottery in order to replace the broken pottery. It was very common for pottery to be broken. Why did God choose this common man doing a common thing for such a powerful demonstration of how his word works?
First of all, God knew that he could depend on the potter to be right where he was supposed to be doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing
There were many places that the potter could have been where he was not supposed to be such as: talking on the phone, talking to a friend, talking to his spouse, on the computer, taking an unauthorized day off, reading his bible, prophesying, preaching, etc.
Based on the fact that the potter was at an established business that made pottery he was probably getting paid for his skills. Since he was getting paid that could have easily added to the list of things that were there to distract him.
Right now God has called each and everyone of us here for a specific purpose. Are we doing what he has called us to do?
For his whole life that could have been the one thing and the one time that God had destined him to do and be. He was not some great man of God. He wasn’t even doing anything godly. He was simply doing what he had been chosen to do by God. Who knows if he had been called for such a time as this.
We need to make sure that we are doing what God has called us and designed us to do. We need for God to be able to depend on us.
Out of all of the things that I mentioned earlier, I not once mentioned what could have happened if the potter had been somewhere doing something that he did not have any business doing. He would have had an awesome price to pay to an angry God for his disobedience.
This is a trick from Satan. He tries to make it look like we can afford the wrath of God. We say “What’s the worse that can happen?” Then after we think that we have considered all things and taken an accurate count for the cost of the sin that we are about to commit we make the mistakes of sometimes thinking that we can afford it.
Let me be the one to tell you saint that if that potter had not been at that wheel on that day then his life would have never been the same.
CONCLUSION
It is of great importance that we always realize and understand the importance of being where God has assigned us to be doing what God assigned us to do. By being out of place we do not only jeopardize our own blessings but we jeopardize someone else receiving their blessing by us allowing God to minister through us. Consider this day the fact that you can if you will be dependable in the eyes of God. Don’t look at the obvious but just think in the spiritual realm that God may reveal his true purpose for your life right now. Repeat after me:
(leader) God
(leader) You can
(leader) Depend on me
Let’s say that again and this time like we mean it.
(leader) God
(leader) From this day forward
(leader) You can depend on me
Now that we have entered this new covenant with God we need to make sure that from now on the least that we do is be where God tells us to be doing what God says to do.
Let’s Pray
Dear God thank you. I realize how important it is for you to be able to depend on me to do your will. I pray right now that I am able to fulfill my obligations to you for these delicate and important duty. Thank you for this opportunity to serve you the more. Amen
Thank You. May God continue to bless you and keep you. Amen
Your Friend
Minister Juan D. Lane Sr.
