God’s Molded Instruments

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled God's Molded Instruments, was written by Ruth Wan Lau. Considered one of the greatest video games ever made, Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. It's also popularized the ocarina, a tiny, ancient, potato-shaped musical instrument made of clay. The ocarina doesn't look like much of a musical instrument. However, when it's played, by blowing into its mouthpiece and covering various holes around its misshapen body, it produces a strikingly serene and hauntingly hopeful sound.

The ocarina's maker took a lump of clay, applied pressure and heat to it, and transformed it into an amazing musical instrument. I see a picture of God and us here. Isaiah 64, verse 6, and verses 8 through 9 tell us, All of us have become like one who is unclean. Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay.

You are the potter. Do not be angry beyond measure. The prophet was saying, God, you're in charge. We're all sinful. Shape us into beautiful instruments for you. That's exactly what God does. In his mercy, he sent his son Jesus to die for our sin, and now he's shaping and transforming us as we walk in step with his spirit every day.

Just as the ocarina maker's breath flows through the instrument to produce beautiful music, God works through us his molded instruments to accomplish his beautiful will to be more and more like Jesus. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Isaiah, chapter 64, verses 5 through 9. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How, then, can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.

We all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind, our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you, for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins. Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay.

You are the potter. We are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord. Do not remember our sins forever.

Oh, look on us. We pray, for we are all your people. Let's pray. Father, thank you for saving us and transforming us so that we will become more like your Son, Jesus. Teach us to submit to your Spirit's work of transforming us. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.