“You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? Isaiah 29:16
As I contemplate my morning Bible reading, my coffee cup has drawn my eye. I have written of my love for my coffee cup before (Filled for Purpose). We all understand that the value of this wonderful cup resides in its orientation. Attempting to pour coffee in my cup when the bear is on his back will only result in a mess. Coffee will cascade down its sides. The entire exterior of the cup may become encapsulated by the overwhelming flow of coffee being poured upon it but nothing will get inside my cup if it is upside down.
Humanity has been unable to get beyond the error of turning things upside down. People have been applying their flawed reasoning for centuries. There is nothing new to this world. In Isaiah’s time, people were denying that God was their creator. Today, the atheist’s main premise in their attack against God emanates from the belief that God is not their creator. They embrace the belief that their existence is the product of evolution. They deny God by reasoning that they no longer need a god construct to explain our existence. Evolution is merely a modern version of the belief of Isaiah’s day, “He did not make me”; clay regarding themselves as the potter. It is upside down.
In Isaiah’s time, people were denying that God had understanding. I do not know how they were doing that but I know how it is often done today. The instructions of the Bible are often dismissed under the cultural context argument. Many conclude that they are free to engage in what the Bible calls sin because they believe that the author did not understand our present cultural environment or the author did not understand what makes them happy; potter being regarded as the clay. It is upside down.
Just like my coffee cup, a person will not be filled with the Spirit until they get the orientation of their hearts correct. God created man. God created me. Since there is a creator God, then I am subject to Him. I am the clay and He is the potter. The potter has the right to form and use the clay as he wants.
God has complete understanding. He understands what I am facing today. He knew my current condition when He was inspiring Isaiah. He has an understanding that is greater than my own. I can trust His understanding of what is good for me. His guidance is faithful and true. I can trust that He knows what will make me happy.
There is nothing new under the sun. Our enemy has used the same old tricks throughout the generations. Therefore, let us not be naïve to these tricks because they are very effective in turning things upside down. The saving grace of the gospel has washed over the exterior of many who have gotten turned upside down from these tricks.
The wonderful truth is that we have a Creator with complete understanding. Troubled waters await those who play at flipping these truths about.
Let’s stay grounded on these truths so that the Spirit of our Lord flows into us and fills our hearts to overflowing.
PRAYER: Lord, remove the gloom and darkness of my eyes; give me eyes to see. Father, enable my deafened eyes to hear the words of your Book. Do not allow me to become confused into getting the things of You turned upside down. Jesus, open the eyes and ears of the lost; may you reveal to them how upside down they have become. I pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
A DEVOTED LIFE 