Corona Devo 1786

In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. (21) If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.  ~2 Timothy 2:20-21

~~~

Do you have any special utensils that you only use on special occasions?  

I still have the knife and spatula that my husband and I used at our wedding reception to cut and serve our wedding cake.  I get them out sometimes on our anniversary or if we are hosting guests.  They are special utensils, reserved for special use.

The Bible calls us to be special utensils for God.  Not run-of-the-mill, do-what-everyone-else-does cheap utensils, but pure, honorable, special utensils, ready to be put to the Masters' use.

It's a neat comparison, isn't it?

When company came over, gramma never said to "polish the plastic forks and spoons", no--my gramma had a special wooden box with velvet insides that encased her good silverware.  It was reserved for special times, and she literally polished it to keep it nice.  

We have to work hard so that we can be polished and be special utensils, and can present ourselves to God and receive his approval.  

How do we do that?  

Not by being cheap and flimsy in our faith and our convictions.  Not by being dispensable with our morals or temporary with our commitment to Christ.  

That is how those that do not know and love the Lord live.  Anything goes.  ...How I "feel" is how I live.  And so, life becomes cheap and disposable.  We become cheap.  There is nothing special or reserved about us because we have cheapened the purpose and the call that God has on our lives.

No, that is not at all how we should seek to represent ourselves before our holy God.  And even if we have not been living-well for Him, no one is disposable to our Lord.  He longs for all of us to belong to Him. 

How do we do that?  

“The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil."  ~2 Timothy 2:15-19

How do we do that?  

Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.  ~2 Timothy 2:21

What if we were different from the utensils made of wood and clay...the cheap ones for everyday use (2 Timothy 2:20).

(We are different!)  

God has called us each to a higher calling: Himself and His Word and His ways.  If we will follow Him, and keep ourselves pure, we will be a special utensil for (God's) honorable use.

How can we tell if we're on the right track?  

Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.  ~2 Timothy 2:21

How do we stay spiritually clean and on the right track to be ready for the Master to use us?

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. (16) Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. (17) This kind of talk spreads like cancer...  ~2 Timothy 2:15-17

Lord, help us to be pure today.  We want to receive Your approval.  For the things/deeds/words/sins that we are ashamed of...please forgive us.  We thank You for Your Word and we are committing ourselves to it and to You today.  Help us to understand the word of truth and correctly explain it.  Father, help us to avoid worthless, foolish talk today.  Gone with the gossip and away with the assumptions and opinions.  Your stance is our stance and may Your Words be the ones that we speak.  Lord, help us to work hard today so we can present ourselves to You and receive Your approval.  We want to ready ourselves to be Your special utensils for honorable use.  Amen.

~~~

Get out the good silverware today: Us!  

In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. (21) If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.  ~2 Timothy 2:20-21 

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