by Pastor Douglas Brauner
Hope Is in God When Life Doesn’t Turn Out the Way We Want.
You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.
“But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
Isaiah 64:8 English Standard Version
I have a love/hate relationship with some of my cameras. Each camera I own has it’s own characteristics. Each provides me with a unique shooting experience. Some are small, others large. Some shoot 120 film, others 35mm. Some even take digital pictures. Each one fits differently in my hand. Each has it’s own personality.
The camera with which I took this picture is an absolute joy to shoot, yet has caused me to pull out what little hair I have. I did everything right when I loaded this roll of film, EVERYTHING! Yet, the camera, having a mind of its own, decided once again to give me funky light leaks.
Sound like life?
You do everything right, everything the way that you are supposed to, and life doesn’t turn out the way you expect. We go through life thinking that everything is due to cause and effect. You do the right thing and life will turn out great. You do the wrong thing and everything will turn our bad.
It doesn’t work that way, does it?
You eat properly, get the correct amount of sleep, you exercise regularly, and then your doctor tells you that you have cancer. It’s easy to lose hope, to throw up your hands and say, “What’s the use?”
God, through Isaiah, reminds us of three important facts as we deal with life throwing us light leaks.
- God is our Father, and that won’t change.
- We are still the clay and always will be clay
- He is the potter who is continually shaping our lives even when things don’t turn out the way we expect them to.
That’s the power of redemption, of Jesus’ cross and empty tomb. God redeems even the stuff in our lives that doesn’t make sense.
Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
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