Puppet or Clay?

We read in Isaiah 64:8 but now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

God is the potter and we are the clay. We are shaped and molded by our life’s experiences. The experiences God allows to occur in our lives that make us into the vessel He has created us to be.

Notice the use of the word allow. God doesn’t make things happen in our lives but He does allow things to occur. In Job chapter 1 we read the account of Satan walking to and fro in the earth. When God asks Satan if he has considered his servant Job he basically responds are you kidding me. Job doesn’t serve you for nothing. You’ve placed a hedge of protection around him, his household, and everything around him. You’ve blessed everything he touches and cause it to increase.

Well that same hedge of protection is also around you and me. Yes things touch our lives just as they did Jobs, but these things when we come through them, and yes we do come through them make us stronger, give us a testimony to help someone else and believe it or not work together for our good, because we love God and we are the called, according to his purpose as we read in Romans 8:28.

Oftentimes when we are in the midst of going through we don’t know how we will make it through yet alone how what we are going through could possibly work for our good.

Years before my mother passed I always thought if anything ever happened to her I would not survive. We were very close. We shopped together, had the same taste and enjoyed each other’s company. We talked to each other on the phone every day.

In The last few months before her death she was in and out of the hospital. My two sisters and I took turns caring for her. We were with her when she took her last breathe. One of the last things she asked was that we keep our family together. Little did any of us know what was soon to occur. Both my sisters and I now live in the same subdivision within walking distance of each other and are closer than we have ever been.

When we allow the things that occur in our lives to shape and mold us we become stronger. Contrariwise when we allow the things that occur in our lives to adversely affect us the enemy has us just where he wants us.

Have you ever seen a puppeteer skillfully manipulate his puppets? He pulls the strings and maneuvers the puppets as he chooses. Satan tries to do the same thing with us, but he can only do what you allow him to do. It’s up to you to choose how you react to what you encounter and experience in life, whether your reaction is spiritual or carnal.

It’s only human for your initial reaction to be carnal because you are reacting based on emotion. Once the emotion has passed your reaction should be spiritual as you recognize that in the flesh there is nothing you can do.

A carnal reaction enables the puppeteer, Satan to manipulate your emotions, prolonging your victory.    

We also read in Jeremiah 18:4 and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. The Potter is willing and able to reshape you, to smooth out the marred places, to remove the flaws…are you willing to let Him?

As we read in Galatians 5:16 this I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Are you yielding to the puppeteer or to the Potter?

 

 

Secret Thoughts: Things We Are Afraid to Say Out Loud

The Moment We Have All Been Waiting For Is Finally Here!

Secret Thoughts: Things We Are Afraid to Say Out Loud

By

Greta G. Hillman

 

What are your Secret Thoughts? What are you afraid to say out loud? Who can you trust with your deepest secrets without fear of judgment or envy? "Secret Thoughts: Things We Are Afraid To Say Out Loud" is now available on kindle. Click on the link to order your copy today for only $4.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L2O12KU the paperback version will be released soon. Follow my blog for the release date.

Everyone has secret thoughts. I understand the struggles experienced sometimes with sharing those thoughts. In my book I share my secret thoughts in an effort to empower others to comfortably share their thoughts as needed. You will read about secret thoughts which you may have even experienced yourself. Thoughts you would like to share, but do not know if or with whom you should share them.

This book will help you recognize who you can trust with your deepest secrets as well as when and how to release them. This practical yet powerful guide serves as a tool to provide you with guidance on sharing thoughts that may cause pain, stress, discomfort, or joy without fear of judgment, repercussion, retaliation or envy.

I pray this book will be a blessing to all who read it.

Encouraging your financial, spiritual, physical and emotional wellbeing,

Greta

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s Not My Job

Have you ever gone into an establishment, maybe a grocery store or department store asked for assistance only to have someone reply that’s not my job? What was your reaction? Did you ask if the person could point you in the direction of someone that could assist you? Perhaps you became angry. Maybe you left the establishment.

There are people that are assigned certain tasks or jobs that only want to perform the tasks or jobs they have been assigned, are trained on and equipped to perform.

Then there are people that are trying to do tasks that have not been assigned to them. They have not been trained nor are they able to perform the tasks.

Many people try to perform the tasks or the job of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was sent to be our comforter, our teacher, our guide, our protector.

How many times have you tried to perform the tasks of the Holy Spirit? How many times have you tried to carry burdens that you could not bear? How many times have you tried to fix a circumstance or situation only to end up with less than desirable results?

The Word of God is very specific when it comes to what we are and are not capable of handling. We read in Ephesians 6:12 for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

This scripture has a twofold meaning. 1.) Don’t wrestle with your own flesh. Your flesh is enmity against your spirit. The two don’t and won’t agree. Your flesh will lead you to do one thing while your spirit may tell you to do something completely different. 2.) You should not wrestle or fight physically or verbally with others. The battle is not physical it is spiritual.

Oftentimes our desire for change within our own lives or in the lives of others will put us in a place where we become engaged in situations over which we have no control. Try as we may without the Holy Spirit we cannot change anything as we read in John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing, and we certainly can’t change anyone.

Several years ago I was in a no win situation. I couldn’t fix what I wanted changed. I talked until I didn’t know what else to say. I cried until not another tear would fall and I prayed until I couldn’t think of anything else to pray. My final prayer was God I can’t do this anymore. I give it to you. I gave it to God and didn’t take it back. In His time and in His way He fixed it.

Many of us are trying to do a job that we have not been trained nor are we capable of performing. The next time the enemy interjects thoughts into your mind of a situation that you know you can neither control, change or should even get involved in remind yourself as well as the enemy that’s not my job! Give whatever it is to God and allow Him to take care of it.