Lent daybook, 29: Watch this potter (to imagine God at work)
A Lent daybook for these 40 days of prayer. (You can see previous Lent daybook 2017 posts here)
Song for today: Dust We Are and Shall Return by The Brilliance
Listen to all of the Lent Daybook 2017 songs at this playlist on Spotify: Lent 2017
Readings for today: Psalm 101, Psalm 109:1-30, Jeremiah 18:1-11, Romans 8:1-11, John 6:27-40
“God told Jeremiah, “Up on your feet! Go to the potter’s house. When you get there, I’ll tell you what I have to say.”
So I went to the potter’s house, and sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot.
Then God’s Message came to me: “Can’t I do just as this potter does, people of Israel?” God’s Decree! “Watch this potter. In the same way that this potter works his clay, I work on you, people of Israel. At any moment I may decide to pull up a people or a country by the roots and get rid of them. But if they repent of their wicked lives, I will think twice and start over with them. At another time I might decide to plant a people or country, but if they don’t cooperate and won’t listen to me, I will think again and give up on the plans I had for them.
”So, tell the people of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem my Message: ‘Danger! I’m shaping doom against you, laying plans against you. Turn back from your doomed way of life. Straighten out your lives.’
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[Jesus said] “This, in a nutshell, is that will: that everything handed over to me by the Father be completed—not a single detail missed—and at the wrap-up of time I have everything and everyone put together, upright and whole. This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time.””
Prayer for today:
“Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy before he first suffered pain, and did not enter into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that I, walking in the way of the cross, may find it to be none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ you son my Lord. Amen”
Spiritual practice for today:
Watch the pottery video above (or search for yourself, there are many beautiful, mesmerizing options!) and pray for the Holy Spirit to enlarge your imagination about how He works in your life - through the gifts, the suffering and, even His discipline. Agree with His word that Christ is doing the work of the Father to make everything and everyone "upright and whole". Thank Him and choose to rest in this knowledge.
(see all Lent daybook posts from 2016 here)