Real simple right? But there is so much hope and beauty in that! I love it, especially being part of Potter's Field Ministries and having seen Pastor Mike's presentation. The picture of taking up plain, hard, ugly clay and being molded and constructed into something beautiful. I remember this one time when we were evangelizing (it was actually in Tamarindo) and I was sharing this gospel with this lady. As I started talking about man's fallen nature, she got defensive and kept telling me over and over how I was an angel, that I was perfect and couldn't be this wretched sinful creature deserving the wrath of God. As she tried to convince me that I truly was a good person, I felt tears well in my eyes, my heart sink and my stomach drop. That's because just the opposite is true. From birth I was fully deserving eternity in hell. I was one who stood on the side of the road cursing at Christ as he walked holding the cross. I'm guilty of nailing his hands and piercing his side. There's a Paul Washer sermon that I've listened to over and over. In it he says that the greatest act of faith is not raising someone from the dead, but for a man to look into the mirror of God's Word and see his sin, and yet believe that God loves us how He says He does. Because I'm not a victim in chains. I'm not a little lost sheep. I am a vile, wretched, God hating criminal and he, JESUS, bought me not with gold or silver, but with his precious blood!
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Willingly, he has drawn this wretched person into his embracing arms and has removed my heart of stone. I am but dust, yet God is making something beautiful. And this is not because I did anything great or deserving of it. He has done it for His glory!
"Hope is springing up from this old ground. Out of chaos, life is being found in You." Praise God that he would choose to have any good come from me through Christ! And though I so often am found looking back at what I was, I am confident of this, that he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
You make me new, You are making me new
Is not our God amazing? Praise Jesus!
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
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