Daily Devotional

I've never taken a ceramics class but I've heard they can be really fun. Many people have said that taking the "nothing" clay and molding into "something" is an enjoyable and relaxing experience. Funny thing about clay is that it's not very valuable unless you can create something remarkable with it. Porcelain, on the other hand, is very valuable. While a clay pot from Walmart may only be $1.50, a porcelain vase can cost thousands of dollars. But what's the difference? Porcelain is clay that has been compressed and fired to extremely high temperatures. A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot. However, if exposed to the white heat of a furnace it becomes porcelain. Some days, life might feel like you're in the fire - like you're being tested, and like the heat is too much to handle. Yet, as we are reminded by David, God is with us and when we trust in Him we have no need to be afraid.

There's a story of two gentlemen who one weekend decided to climb a popular nearby hilltop. While one guy had been there dozens of times, it was a completely new experience for the other. When they approached the bottom of the hill, the newbie pointed out that it wouldn't be an easy climb; it looked steep and rough. He was surprised because he knew there were people there every weekend that climbed this horrible hill. The new guy said to the other, "I thought you said you've been here before. You should have warned me. There isn't a smooth spot anywhere. It's all bumpy and stony, and there's no way I can climb this." "Yes," said the other guy, "but how would we ever climb to the top if it wasn't? The stones and bumps are precisely what we will use to get there." The stones and bumps of life are the trials and situations we face every day that may seem unnecessary and even prohibitive of us getting to where we want to go. But they just might be the things God is using to take us to the places He wants us to go.

Understand beloved, that everyday is a new opportunity to trust God like never before. You are never alone, even if it feels like it. God is always with you and He can and will use the stones and bumps of life to get us to the places He wants us to be and become the people we are to become. Trust in Him. There's no better guide.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.