21. Yielded vessels.

Kathryn Kuhlman used to say : “God is not asking for golden vessels or silver vessels but yielded vessels.”
Interestingly, he didn’t even require that the vessels be empty because once yielded, he will empty the vessels and fill them with the new wine . When Jesus turned water into wine at Cana in Galilee, he didn’t ask for golden or silver vessels that were inside the house but instead chose the six stone jars that stood outside the house, to hold the ‘new wine’. The stone jars weren’t meant for a noble purpose but that didn’t deter Jesus from using them to reveal his glory. (John 2:11)
‘In a large house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some for noble purposes and some for ignoble. *If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. ‘ – (2 Timothy 2:20-21)
The Lord is still seeking for vessels in these endtimes to pour out his Spirit upon all flesh.

Why should we yield to God?
He being our creator has a ‘legal’ right over our lives. But he didn’t ‘lord it over us’ as men would like to do because he gave us a free will ! Now that our creator has turned out to be our redeemer, he has a double right over our lives as Lord and Saviour ! When emotions wear out, what sustains our commitment is this deep conviction of God’s right over our lives. Therefore , we ought to surrender ourselves to God in our free will lest we put our salvation at stake !

What does God require from us?
He died our death that we might live his life, King size! But that is too big a life to live by our own human effort ! Therefore just as the Father lived the life of his Son by his Spirit and perfected him, so also must Christ live our lives by the Spirit and perfect us. The words of Jesus bears witness to this truth : “The words I say to you are not my own. Rather, it is the Father ,living in me , who is doing his work.” – (John 14:10)
And Paul in turn could say : ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me . The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God , who loved me and gave himself up for me.’– (Galatians 2:20)

How do we live by this faith?
‘The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body … but rather offer yourselves to God … as instruments of righteousness …’ (Romans 6:10-14)
Therefore, let us yield these ‘jars of clay’ to the Potter who made us and chose us to be the vessels that can hold the new wine. Amen.