Read: Jeremiah 18:1-6 and Psalm 138:8
I'm one of those people that like to plunge into everything that I do. I think my personality has been classified as Type A. This can be a very positive attribute when it is surrendered to the Lord. But it also has its "down" side. Case in point: I've made it clear that I really don't care to exercise. Yet I know that it is a necessary part of this high-tech "machines do all the work" society in which we live. So I tend to talk myself into beginning a workout routine, then a few months later I talk myself out of it, only to start again several months later. The problem is when I start a routine my Type A personality kicks in and I plunge in full steam ahead. Instead of gradually progressing to each new level of fitness I give it all I've got at the outset. The next day however, I pay the price of having pushed my body to its limit without proper preparation. Every muscle in my body is sore to the point that the slightest movement generates excruciating pain. My husband, a former athlete, has experience in therapeutic massage and comes to the rescue every time that I overdo. Unfortunately it is the most painful cure I have ever had to endure! The first time in his hands the process hurt so badly that I told him to quit and angrily limped away. And the pain remained. I finally had to admit that I needed his help and yielded to the much needed treatment. It still hurt terribly - so much so that I had to muffle my "screams" into a pillow. But I knew that what he was doing would bring healing to my aching muscles. We serve a God who knows exactly what it will take to bring healing into our lives. He applies pressure in just the right places to expose hidden sin, mend a broken heart, strengthen areas of weakness, and polish areas that are ready for His use. His activity in our lives may cause incredible discomfort and we may want to reject the whole process and limp away in defeat. But if we will remain on the Potter's wheel with a yielded heart, we can know that when the process is complete we will be changed. The pressure of His hands may cause us to cry but in the end it will be worth it all.
Prayer
Father, I don't always like the process you select for my maturity. But deep in my heart I know it is for my good. Help me to remain yielded to Your touch until the work is complete. Amen.
