 | Isaiah 45:5 "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:"
Can you think of a clod--a very bad person--in your life right now? The term "clod" may be foreign to you, but God often speaks of people in whom He is trying to work as "clay," so perhaps the term "clod" is appropriate! A clod is a lump of dirt or clay that is hardened and cannot be shaped.
In Isaiah 44:27-28, God speaks of a pagan king who was a clod. Cyrus was a pagan conqueror and a clod in every sense of the word. He was a terrible man. Everything Cyrus did for God's people he did as God's shepherd and for God's pleasure (verse 28). Amazingly, in Isaiah 45:1, Cyrus is called God's "anointed"! God says of Cyrus, "Whose right hand I have holden. . . ."
What does all this mean for you and me this morning? The bottom line is that God is in control. He is the shaper of events, of times, of seasons, and of men. In light of that, you can be clay or you can be a clod, but God will win.
When President Reagan was asked some years ago what his strategy was for the Cold War, he replied, "We win. They lose." That is simple enough! By comparison, God's strategy is identical--He will win. He can win with you or He can win without you. It matters to me that He wins with me, not without me; doesn't it matter to you? I don't want to be a clod-I want to be clay!
Remember today that the clods are not in control.It may seem like they are in control sometimes, but remember that God is in control and not the clods. Isaiah 45:5 declares, "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:" God knew about Cyrus long before Cyrus was even born! Remember, the clods are not in control. Secondly, remember that you don't have to be a clod!God will work with you or against you, but God will win. As a child of God, why in the name of common sense would you want to be in opposition to Him? God will still have His way, even if I am not receptive and perceptive to what He is doing. You will be a part of what is happening one way or the other!
Thirdly, remember to be clay. Clay is pliable and moldable. Verse 9 says, "Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! . . Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?. . ." Remember to be clay. I may not always know what God is making, but God does know. There is a plan, a purpose, a design. God is looking for pliable people who He can use and mold for His purposes. The question then is simple: Are you a clod or clay?
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