Yielded and Still 顺服与静默
Dexu Xia
The potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Jeremiah 18:4
Today's Scripture Jeremiah 18:1-6
Today's Insights Jeremiah 18:6 reminds us that God is “the potter” who shapes and uses us for His purpose. Moses is an example of someone who was used by God. In Acts 7, Stephen says of him, “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. . . . Moses thought that [they] would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not” (vv. 23-25). He overestimated his readiness. His instincts were good, but his timing wasn’t. Eventually, after forty years of “relative” silence, he was ready for God’s assignment and rescued his people: “This is the same Moses they had rejected. . . . He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself . . . . He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness” (vv. 35-36). Today, when we yield ourselves to God, He’ll use us for His purpose in His timing.
Today's Devotion Not much is known about Adelaide Pollard, and that’s sort of the point. She was a humble servant of God who wanted no recognition for herself. At the age of forty, she felt a strong calling to be a missionary to Africa, but that door was closed to her, leaving her greatly discouraged. Yet Adelaide was reminded of a verse: “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand” (Jeremiah 18:6). Later, she penned a hymn with these lyrics: “Thou art the potter, I am the clay.”
The image in Jeremiah has much to speak into our lives today: “The pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him” (18:4). This is a picture of how God reshapes us into His better purpose. Whatever we think we should do and be, God may have another shape for our lives: “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand” (v. 6).
Eventually Adelaide did go to Africa, but it may be that God’s shape for her life had more to do with other things—perhaps writing that hymn, “Have Thine Own Way,” which has inspired millions in the years since. When we feel “on hold” in what we want to do, we might think about how God is shaping us in the meantime. We do well to let God have His own way and wait, “yielded and still,” for His greater purpose.
Reflect & Pray
How do you feel discouraged in your life goals today? How might you let God have His way with your life?
Dear God, please help me yield myself totally to Your potter’s hand.
By Kenneth Peterson
“陶匠又用这泥另做别的器皿，陶匠看怎样好，就怎样做。”（耶利米书 18:4 ）
今日经文：耶利米书 18章1-6 节
今日洞见：耶利米书 18章6节 提醒我们，上帝就是那位“陶匠”，祂塑造我们并使用我们来成就祂的旨意。摩西就是一个被上帝使用的典范。在使徒行传7章中，司提反论及摩西时说道：“摩西年四十岁，心中起意，去看望他的弟兄以色列人……摩西以为他们会明白上帝正借着他来拯救他们，但他们却不明白”（23-25节）。他高估了自己当时的预备程度。他的初衷是好的，但时机却不对。最终，在经历四十年“相对”沉寂后，他终于预备妥当，承接了上帝的使命，并拯救了自己的同胞：“这正是他们曾拒绝的那位摩西……上帝亲自差遣他作他们的君王和拯救者……他带领他们出了埃及，并在四十年间，在埃及、红海以及旷野行了许多奇事神迹”（35-36节）。如今，当我们把自己完全交托给上帝时，祂必在祂所定的最佳时机里，使用我们去成就祂的旨意。
今日灵修：关于阿德莱德·波拉德的生平，我们所知甚少；而这恰恰印证了她一生的写照。她是上帝的一位谦卑的仆人，从不寻求个人的名声与认可。在她四十岁那年，她深切地感受到上帝的呼召，立志前往非洲宣教；然而，那扇门却对她紧紧关闭，令她倍感沮丧。就在此时，阿德莱德脑海中浮现出一节经文：“泥在陶匠手中怎样，你们在我的手中也怎样”（耶利米书 18:6）。后来，她以此为灵感，创作了一首圣诗，其中有这样一句歌词：“祢是陶匠，我是泥土。” 耶利米书中的这一意象，对我们今日的生命有着极深的启示：“陶匠用泥做的器皿，在他手中做坏了；他便用这泥另做别的器皿，陶匠看怎样好，就怎样做”（18:4）。这幅画面生动地描绘了上帝如何重塑我们，使我们得以成就祂那更美好的旨意。无论我们自认为应当做什么、成为什么样的人，上帝或许早已为我们的生命预备了另一种样式：“陶泥在陶匠手中怎样，你们在我手中也怎样”（第6节）。 最终，阿德莱德确实去了非洲；然而，上帝为她生命所预定的样式，或许更多的是与其他的事物有关，例如创作那首圣诗《愿主为首》，这首诗在此后的岁月里激励了千万人。当我们感到自己想做之事正处于“搁置”状态时，不妨思考一下：在这段等待的时光里，上帝正以何种方式塑造着我们？我们若能顺服，任凭上帝按祂的心意行事，并“顺服且安静”地等候成就祂那更宏大的旨意，这便是极好的选择。
反思与祷告 今天，在你追求人生目标的过程中，你是否感到灰心气馁？你当如何将生命的主权交托给上帝，任凭祂按祂的心意引领你？
亲爱的上帝，求祢帮助我把自己完全交托给你，在祢那陶匠塑造器皿的手中完全顺服。
作者：坎南次 彼得森