DEVOTION/Who knows best
Who knows better?
What if you walked up to a professional football quarterback and told him, “You know, if you would place a little more weight on your back foot you might be able to better hit your target.” Or, what if after attending a beautiful concert, you would meet the solo pianist and say, “You should really work on your posture when sitting on that chair; it would improve your playing.” Or what if after a wonderful dinner, you walked up to the master chef and told him, “I suggest you add the salt before you put that dish in the oven.” These people would all probably say: “Don’t tell me how to do my job!” And maybe they are right. After all, they are professionals who have practiced long and hard to be the perfectionists they are. To have someone with little experience telling them how to do their work might upset them.
God is the potter!
Would you ever tell God what to do? There are some people in the Bible who tried to do that. God promised Abraham that a special son would be born to Sarah and him. Abraham knew that was not very likely because he and Sarah were quite old. They figured God couldn’t handle it by himself, so they decided to show God how it should be done. Their plan didn’t work. Their scheme brought hardship to Abraham’s family.
God sent Jonah to Nineveh to preach to the wicked people there, but Jonah decided to go his own way. He had a better idea. He didn’t like God’s plan, so he invented his own. Jonah’s plan also brought trouble.
God asks an interesting question in Isaiah 45:9: Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ The potter might well answer, “Leave that up to me. I know how to mold you and shape you and make you into something beautiful!”
Sometimes we want to know God’s reasons for doing certain things even though he assures us that he always does what is best for us. He promises to take care of us and protect us. Why then do we question how God is doing his job? “Lord, you should have healed my puppy.” “Lord, why did you let it rain today?” Instead we should remember that God has a plan, and he is in control. That’s why we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your will be done.” We can be certain that God’s will is always best for us.
Have Your own way, Lord!
Have Your own way!
You art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Your will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still. Amen.
By Reynold R. Kremer