1月6日

標 題：神在尋找黏土

經 節：「耶和華說：以色列家啊，我待你們，豈不能照這窯匠弄泥嗎？以色列家啊，泥在窯匠的手中怎樣，你們在我的手中也怎樣。」（耶利米書十八章6節）

神清楚如何把救恩帶給你的家庭、你的朋友、你的社區和你的世界。因此，祂正在尋找一些願意讓祂塑造成為可用器皿的人，來實行祂神聖的工作。黏土對自己毫無計畫，也沒有事奉的遠大抱負，更不會心不甘情不願地付出。它只是一塊柔軟可塑、完全順服主人意志的黏土。

我們常常興奮地向神宣佈：「我已經發現自己的優點和恩賜。現在，我知道自己怎樣最能事奉神。」我們有時候會通知祂：「我知道自己的缺點，所以我知道有哪些事我無法為神做。」這種心態根本不是陶土的特性。神並不受你個人能力的限制來使用你（哥林多後書十二：9∼10），祂能塑造我們成為任何一種祂所要的器皿。當神的任務需要謙卑品格的人，祂就尋找一個願意謙卑的僕人；當神的工需要奮興的器皿，祂就尋找能被聖靈充滿的人。神使用聖潔的器皿，祂尋找那些願意被神除去自己不潔的人。它不是一種高貴的行業，它只是一塊黏土-既沒有甚麼吸引力，也無可誇之處，唯一的例外是：它乃是全能神所尋找的一塊柔軟、可塑造的黏土。

如果你老是告訴神甚麼是你能做的事、甚麼是你不能做的事，現在該是順服祂計畫的時候，任憑祂塑造你成為祂計畫中的你，就像一塊黏土一樣。

God Looks for Clay

"O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the LORD. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! (Jeremiah 18:6)

God knows how to bring salvation to your family, your friends, your community, and your world. Accordingly, He looks for those who will allow Him to shape them into the instruments He requires to do His divine work. Clay has no plans of its own, no aspirations for service, nor reluctance to perform its given task. It is just clay. Moldable, pliable, totally submissive to the will of its master.

At times we excitedly announce to God: “I’ve discovered my strengths and gifts, and now I know how I can best serve You!” At other times we inform Him, “I am aware of what my weaknesses are, so I know which tasks I’m not capable of doing for You.” Yet this is not characteristic of clay. God is not limited to working with our strengths (2 Cor. 12:9–10). He can mold us into whatever kind of instrument He requires. When God’s assignment demands humility, he finds a servant willing to be humbled. When His work requires zeal, He looks for someone He can fill with His Spirit. God uses holy vessels, so He finds those who will allow Him to remove their impurities. It is not a noble task, being clay. There is no to it, nothing boastworthy, except that it is exactly what almighty God is looking for. Compliant, moldable, yielded clay.

If your tendency is to tell the Father what you can and cannot do for Him, submit to His agenda and allow Him to shape you into the person He wants you to be. Like clay.