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Count it all joy.... (James 1:2)
When I was a teenager, my dad was an elementary school principal in a village in my home country, Nigeria. This village was renowned for their clay pot making skills and I still remember how on our way from school, some of us would sit for what seemed like hours watching the potters create exquisite designs on the clay pots. The most fascinating part however was this: Before the design process started, the potter would take the clay pot from this huge furnace and thump it. If it "sings" it was ready to be designed. However if it "thuds", it was not yet ready and it was stuck back into the furnace!
Do you know God "thumps" you during your times of turmoil, struggle, heaviness, doubt, loneliness and failure? When your senses get distorted, numb and you feel so alienated and under pressure, He is going...Thump. Thump. Thump. How do you respond? Do you SING or do you THUD. Jesus said, "People speak the things that are in their hearts" (Luke 6:45 NCV)
If you are joyful and praising God in the midst of your trials and tests, you are passing the thump test and God is right now working out His design for your life...His intricate and exquisite design that will bring Him glory and cause others to be drawn to His work in your life. On the other hand if all you do is "thud" when thumped (complaining, blaming others, pointing fingers, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, gossiping, evil connivings, manipulative, devious, scheming), He will stick you right back into the furnace!
Life happens to everybody. If I had the power, I would create every woman to have the perfect figure of an 18 year old, eat anything they like and maintain the perfect weight...whatever that is, have washboard abs and thick hair, keep temperature at 72 degrees, make friendships last a lifetime with no back biting, gossiping, betrayers, and all our children and husbands would be consistent, logical and cooperative. Alas, I don't have that power!
So life in the real world means we age, gain weight, struggle raising kids, shiver in winter, sweat in summer, lose friendships and deal with difficult people. Life means we have many troubles. But God still wants you to "count it all joy" and "sing" when you are thumped.
Stay above...always.
Yours & His,
Angela
Do you know God "thumps" you during your times of turmoil, struggle, heaviness, doubt, loneliness and failure? When your senses get distorted, numb and you feel so alienated and under pressure, He is going...Thump. Thump. Thump. How do you respond? Do you SING or do you THUD. Jesus said, "People speak the things that are in their hearts" (Luke 6:45 NCV)
If you are joyful and praising God in the midst of your trials and tests, you are passing the thump test and God is right now working out His design for your life...His intricate and exquisite design that will bring Him glory and cause others to be drawn to His work in your life. On the other hand if all you do is "thud" when thumped (complaining, blaming others, pointing fingers, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, gossiping, evil connivings, manipulative, devious, scheming), He will stick you right back into the furnace!
Life happens to everybody. If I had the power, I would create every woman to have the perfect figure of an 18 year old, eat anything they like and maintain the perfect weight...whatever that is, have washboard abs and thick hair, keep temperature at 72 degrees, make friendships last a lifetime with no back biting, gossiping, betrayers, and all our children and husbands would be consistent, logical and cooperative. Alas, I don't have that power!
So life in the real world means we age, gain weight, struggle raising kids, shiver in winter, sweat in summer, lose friendships and deal with difficult people. Life means we have many troubles. But God still wants you to "count it all joy" and "sing" when you are thumped.
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