«THE INSTANT I SPEAK «
SALVATION
“‘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/ The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it’ » (Jeremiah 1 8:6-9).
Imagine that your favorite soccer team loses a match, which leaves it out of the championship season. Interviewing the players and asking them for the possible causes of defeat, their defeat, two types of explanations are obtained. The first group of players points out that «the referee was against [us],» «the soccer field was in bad condition, «the cold was overwhelming.» Another group of players declares, «we did not have enough training,» «we did not have enough rest,» we need to concentrate more.» Considering their answers, how could they improve their results the next time they played? Little could be done to the first group to change the results. Their attitude is passive since their success or failure depends on environmental conditions or someone else’s will. On the contrary; the second group adopts a more active approach; rest and concentration fundamentally depend on every one of them.
In psychology, the perception we have of events that happen in our life is called locus of control. An external locus o control is the one whose causes are attributed to external causes and an internal locus of control attributes the behavior to internal causes.
Our Bible verse mentions two different results in the believer’s life. On one hand, it points out the imminence of ruin and destruction; on the other hand, growth and edification are emphasized. What do you think is the cause of one result or another?
Many believe that any result depends on God so when they read «the instant I speak . . . to pluck, to pull down, and to destroy» or «the instant I speak . . . to build and to plant,» they feel like puppets in the hands of a capricious and unpredictable God and they remain passive and adrift.
However, though our life is like clay in God’s hands, our power of choice is the only thing that could completely change the course of our life. The Lord enables your willingness and decision in order to take action. It is up to you, and whether you choose to follow God and accept His purpose in your life. Then, in a moment, He will take care of your edification.
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Taken from: Daily Devotions for Adults 2020
“A Cheerful Heart Is Good Medicine”
From: Julian Melgoza-Laura Fidanza
Colaboradores: Alejandra Zavala