Walking down the aisle of any given flea market you will see an amazing collection of discarded items. You can imagine how they had once been a part of a beautiful home, or how they were a part of a busy kitchen.
As you walk down the cluttered aisles, you see a beautiful vase perched on an old bookcase. When you pick it up, you can feel the cold smooth ceramic in your hands. You admire the hand-painted flowers that dance around its sides. But as you turn the vase in your hands you notice that it has deep cracks in the sides; you know that this vase will no longer be able to hold water and has lost its usefulness. You sadly notice that some of the beautiful flowers have faded. There is a large chip in the rim and the inside is full of years of dirt and dust. A once beautiful vessel was left uncared for and now has little use. You carefully set it back on the shelf.
The Bible tells you that your body is a vessel. You are a receptacle for the Holy Spirit to fill. Just as you admired that beautiful vase, your Lord Jesus sees you as a beautiful vessel. You are beautiful to Him and you get to fill your vessel with God’s gifts.
Do you know how to keep your vessel sanctified? Do you know how to keep your vessel from becoming like the one in the flea market; dirty, cracked, and useless?
1 Thessalonians 4:4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
Sanctified is being set apart for a purpose and declared holy. Sin is something that contaminates the vessel and can destroy its ability to serve its purpose. God loves you but, He hates the sin that contaminates you. It will destroy you and that is why God hates it.
Do you know how to keep your vessel so that it brings honor to God? A vessel kept properly will draw people toward it. Why should you bring God honor? Because He is worthy, because He has saved your soul, because it draws others towards Him.
When a vessel is empty it can be filled with any manner of debris. Dirt, bugs, and other matter can infiltrate the vessel and make it unusable. But if that vessel is under a continuous stream of water and is constantly filled, the contaminants skim the surface and spill over the edges. They can never reach the bottom nor contaminate the contents.
So goes the same with your vessel. If it is left sitting around unfilled by a close walk with the Lord, it will become filled with all manner of filth. But if you will care for your vessel and keep it under the constant filling of the Holy Spirit, it will remain beautiful, and sanctified (set aside for a specific purpose) and bring God honor.
So how do you keep your vessel beautiful?
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Rejoice evermore
Practice a spirit of rejoicing. Rejoice means to show great joy and delight. Did you know you can choose to be happy and choose to look happy? Why would you want to look like life hates you and you hate life? What about that disposition brings honor to God? Rejoice. Develop an attitude of joy and delight.
Pray without ceasing
Have ongoing, open communication with God. Talk to Him. Listen to Him. You do not have to be on your knees and in a closet to pray. Walk and talk to Him throughout your day. Talk about what you have read in your Bible. Ask Him questions. Pray for others. Ask for His wisdom.
A close relationship with the Lord is possible but it is something that has to be consistently nurtured. You have to refresh the filling of your vessel through prayer and conversations with your Lord. Great things are possible when you have this nearness.
Joshua 10:13-14 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
Now you might not experience the sun standing still in the sky, but through prayer, you will have the opportunity to see the Lord work in amazing ways.
In everything give thanks
Practice a thankful disposition. Thank the Lord for the blessings and thank Him for being with you through the difficulties. No matter your situation, you have a lot for which you can express thanks.
Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying
The spirit speaks to you and guides you. It can be that still, small voice that causes you to change the way you do things, but you can silence the voice of the spirit.
Proverbs 15:32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.
That voice of the Lord can be silenced by not reading your Bible, by not talking to God, by not going to church to hear the preaching of the Word, or by not taking advice from others. Keep your ears open. You never can predict when the Spirit will speak.
Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good
Keep your vessel filled with the Lord. Seek to refill each day as you read your Bible and talk to God. With your vessel filled with good, you will know wisdom and direction and have the ability to discern (prove) all things.
Abstain from all appearances of evil
Some things and situations inherently are not evil or sinful, but when viewed by an outsider, they can create stumbling blocks in their quest for the Lord. Consider what you are doing and how they might appear to those that are seeking the Lord. Do not do something that might confuse their understanding of the Lord.
If you were to pour the Lord from out of your vessel in order to follow your way, you will feel the void. With no directionand no relationship, you can become an empty vessel that can be filled with filth. Just as the Psalmist in Psalm 89 was in a condition where he sensed the absence of the Lord, you would miss His presence and cry out:
Psalm 89:49 Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?You would feel left behind, unfulfilled and useless. If you have removed the Lord from your vessel, you are not without hope. You are still His child, and He loves you and wants to be invited back into your life. Don’t despise your vessel. It is beautiful and something that God can repair and use.
Related Bible Passages:
Joshua 10
Psalms 89
Proverbs 15
1 Thessalonians 4-5
Have a face to face conversation with your Lord:
Lord, how do you see me as a beautiful vessel?
Lord, how have I removed you and allowed contaminates to fill my vessel?
Lord, what am I doing to keep my vessel filled with the Holy Spirit?
Lord, I want to be filled by your Spirit. Help me to practice the right things that keep me continuously replenished and refreshed by your presence.
If you are interested in having a collection of these devotional conversations, consider purchasing the devotional book, Conversations: Face to Face with Your Lord Book 1 or Conversations: Face to Face with Your Lord Book 2. Book 3 is coming soon! They are available from Amazon by clicking on the titles above.
Glory, Strength, & Beauty 