Maturity is more than growth from seed to flower but rather the potter’s constant molding in the face of life’s ups and downs.
In a garden, the “potter” is in control.
The potter makes sure that everything is just right for optimum growth. Things like soil makeup, watering, and sunlight… those are things that the potter is concerned about.
In today’s Tiny Words. Big Life. quote, we find one important person doing one important thing.
The potter is molding the thing that’s planted.
Think about that for a second in two ways: First, imagine that you’re the potter and the important thing being tended to is your life. Are you taking care of your life’s soil, water, and sunlight? Do you place your life in the optimum position to maximize the benefits of those essential things?
Now, think about God – the Master Potter. We can trust that He is fulfilling His promises that He will tend to the soil conditions… He will water you faithfully and provide sunlight for you to grow.
As the thing that’s planted by the Master Potter, we very often do not heed the directions or appreciate the work of the Master Potter. We want to spread our vines over areas within our life that the Master Potter does not condone. Although He will lovingly prune our vines, we continue our disobedience.
In today’s Tiny Words. Big Life. Bible verse, we find the Master Potter talking to His plantings, the Jewish nation, through the prophet Ezekiel. He’s giving them a warning, through a parable about a great eagle that will come and destroy everything they had built. Their wanton behavior and lack of obedience was to bring about their own destruction.
So, let’s place ourselves back in our own garden. What are we to do?
As a plant, we’re to let the Master Potter take care of us. We’re to listen to His commands and obey. We’re to spread our branches in the places where He wants us to go.
As potters, we must take great care in tending the soil of our lives. We must place ourselves in the location where the sun reaches us, allowing our lives to flourish. We’re to water our lives regularly.
The Tiny Words. Big Life. takeaway is this: When you step out into the world today, take care that you stay in the sunlight. Don’t allow the branches of your life to venture into areas that will displease the Master Potter causing our vines to wither and die.
One final thought… When we visualize ourselves as a plant being molded, we all have a particular plant in mind. What kind are you? If you’ve chosen to be a tomato, give me a call when you ripen! There’s nothin’ better than a BLT!
Ezekiel 17:8-10
8 It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’ 9 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots. 10 It has been planted, but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?’”