Into the Fire

A craftsman starts with a vision. 

With it, he applies his skills, turning that vision into a reality. He works with diligent patience, creating a unique product; and hopefully, it's a product of which he's proud. 

On Saturday, my boyfriend and I watched a blacksmith working at an anvil. As odd as that may sound, it was really quite amazing to see a rod of iron skillfully transformed into a piece of art.

In and out of the fire, carefully handled, yet beat with a hammer. In the blacksmith's mind, that rod of iron had a purpose. It had potential for beauty, and that craftsman worked hard to make it into what he wanted it to become. 

Watching this reminded me of Jeremiah 18, where Jeremiah was told to go and watch the potter do his daily work - and that God would reveal more of Himself through the simple act of observing a craftsman in his element. (You can read more about that story from Jeremiah 18 in my post about pottery!)

Also, after feeling encouraged to read Isaiah 54 this weekend, I found at the end of this chapter a part I'd never really been attentive to:

"Behold I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose."

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God is a Creator. He's an artist. A craftsman.

And, He is skillful at what he does. He creates for a purpose. 

And, He called his purposeful creativity "good." Actually, he called it "very good" (Genesis 1).  

God's creativity is something He chose to imprint on our own hearts - and we're designed to reflect the character of God by also being craftsmen.

We saw this truth in a tangible way this weekend as we watched the blacksmith create. He enjoyed his work, and with a smile, he called his work "good." The craftsman found joy in creativity, in his work, and also in the product of his work.

Let's be real for a moment though (and I'm not talking about the growing social media app):

There are two types of creators: 

                1. Creators of and for evil purposes.

                2. Creators of and for God's good purposes.

As you embrace your creativity, you will do one or the other. There is no "in-between."

What do you like to create? Are you creating weapons for good purposes? For fighting off the evil schemes of the devil? Or are you creating weapons to build up and protect your own kingdom? 

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You're either building and creating in and for God's kingdom and His glory, or your building up the devil's kingdom.

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While this is a frightening reality, we're reminded to not be afraid of those who are creating for the wrong purposes. Why?

The passage in Isaiah goes on to say that, "No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgement." 

And then, like a cherry on top, here's what the Lord declares at the end of this passage: "This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me." 

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Some quick definitions:

- Vindication: Clearing someone of blame/suspicion

- Heritage: An inheritance; property to be gained; a special possession; an individual possession; an allotted portion

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Our joy is that our Creator is greater than all His creation. He uses the things we're able to create in the grand story He's writing. Our heritage is that nothing can come against us when we're working for the Lord. No weapon will succeed. That's a promise. Whoa.

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"God will not allow the weapon to prosper but transforms the violent sword into a trowel for building His kingdom." -David Guzik

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May we increasingly believe in the power of our creative God, stepping further into our callings to reflect His character in our own creative endeavors.

As the ultimate craftsman, God has a beautiful, purposeful vision for your life. You may find yourself in the fire today. You may also find yourself getting whacked with the hammer of hardships in life today. But, in the heat of it all (pun intended), know that you have a loving Creator, and He makes everything beautiful in its time.

He sees you NOT as a useless rod of iron. He sees you as someone with potential - someone beautiful, created with and for a purpose. So, as you head into your fire, whatever the fire of today may be, go with joy, knowing that no weapon formed against you shall prevail.

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