A Vessel in His Hands

(449 words, 2 minutes read time.)

** A Past Meditation **
Written in the past and newly restored.

(For prayer and reflection.)

It struck me one day:

I need this cross.

Not because suffering is good in itself,

but because the Lord is using it to draw me more deeply into Himself.

Take away this cross,

and I become a capsized vessel.

My weakness continually reminds me

that I cannot live the Christian life by my own strength.

I need His grace.

Whenever I rely upon myself,

I quickly discover my limitations.

How easily self enters in.

How little lasting fruit I can bear apart from Him.

But when I remain dependent upon the Lord,

He becomes my strength.

His love,

His wisdom,

His grace

begin to accomplish what I never could.

So my prayer becomes:

Lord,

do not allow me to waste this cross.

Remind me of its purpose.

Give me the strength to carry it faithfully,

and let it accomplish within me

all that You desire.

I surrender myself to You.

Live Your life through me.

I do not wish to give souls merely myself.

What they truly need

is You.

May my life become an instrument in Your hands,

so that Your love,

rather than my own strength,

may touch the hearts You entrust to me.

Long before I existed,

You lovingly willed me into being.

You created me with a unique vocation

and a unique way of reflecting Your love.

My prayer is simply this:

that Your Presence within me

may become the fire that purifies,

the love that transforms,

and the light that quietly leads others to You.

Apart from You,

I can do nothing.

But with You,

even my weakness can become a place

where Your grace shines most brightly.

May I never rely upon myself,

but always upon You.

And may every soul who encounters my life

come away loving You more than before.

Perhaps the Lord desires to speak something similar to every heart.

Each of us has crosses we would gladly lay down.

Yet in His loving providence,

He often uses those very crosses

to humble us,

purify us,

draw us closer to Himself,

and prepare us for the work He has entrusted to us.

A Moment for Reflection:

Is there a cross in your life that you continually ask God to remove?

Could He also be using it to teach you dependence, humility, surrender, or deeper trust?

Where are you still relying upon your own strength?

Ask the Lord today: “Jesus, how do You desire to work through my weakness? Make me a vessel in Your hands.”

Used With Permission: www.AdoreHim.com
(C) 2018-26 Lindsey Grace Mariella