“There are times
when in order to keep ourselves in existence at all
we simply have to sit back for a while
and do nothing.”
Thomas Merton
As the instructor finished her teaching, she used the common phrase, “I have good news and I have bad news” to introduce our potential applications. “The good news — you have choices; the bad news — one of your choices is to do nothing.”
Is nothing always a bad choice?
Arriving at our cabin last summer, the weather report was predicting several rainy days. That was good news for me. I just wanted to sit, to be, to do nothing! Nothing seemed good.
The account of creation recorded in Genesis reports
“In the beginning God created … The earth was formless and empty …
And the Spirit of God was hovering …”
Genesis 1:1,2 NLT
The earth was empty, there was nothing! And God was hovering. Hovering, don’t you sense the expectation? Something is about to happen.
God is present; God is hovering over the nothingness — the perfect set-up to display his creating, transforming powers.
“Then God looked over all he had made,
and he saw that
it was very good!
Genesis 1:31, NLT (bolding mine)
Nothing transformed into something very good!
At a wedding Jesus performs his first public miracle filling empty pots with water and then turning the water into the finest wine, John 2:1-12. Those pots with nothing in them were poised for Jesus to demonstrate his creating, transforming, very good powers.
Beth Cutter’s Photography
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay
to show that this all-surpassing power is from God
and not from us.”
II Corinthians 4:7, NIV
As believers, we’re described as ordinary clay jars filled with treasure, God’s all-surpassing power. But I can only be filled if I come to God empty, with nothing.
Nothing is sometimes a good choice. It invites God to hover, to fill me with his wisdom, his goodness, and his love. Like the old hymn, Rock of Ages, proclaims, “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling”.
“May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation —
the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ —
for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”
Philippians 1:11, NIV (bolding mine)
So I come to my devotional times with nothing, anticipating God’s hovering, ready to fill me.
“so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:11, ESV (bolding mine)
I have a gift for you. Email me your address sue@suetell.com or if you follow Echoes of Grace reply to the most recent devotional note with your address and I’ll get it in the mail to you.
Copyright: Sue Tell, October 2020
I can’t tell you how this spoke to me as I read it this morning. It has been a year of trying to still my mind to hear from God, at all a very rough patch. But as I read your thoughts in this blog, I think God opened up my mind and my spirit to HImse;f. It still may be a long way back, but I am ready to begin to trust God for HIs next steps and his filling of my jar of clay
Oh Carolyn,
I’m so excited about how God has met you. You, my friend, are in a very good place … “ready to begin to trust God for His next steps and his filling of my jar of clay.”
Your focus is in the right place. Psalm 23:6 in the NLT is translated, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me …” I love that you are willing to be caught as you experience God filling your clay jar.
I love this – coming empty before God, ready to be filled with Him. Good word, Sue! Thank you!
Your welcome!
Thank you … back to you … for your encouragement.