Second?

I don’t think I’ve mention “I Am Second” website, though I’ve been blessed by so many of the testimonies on the site. This week I noticed Kathy Ireland’s simply because of this line:

I was trying to mold God into what I wanted him be, instead of molding me.

I read examples Monday and Tuesday regarding Pope Francis’ comments. “If they accept the Lord and have good will, who am I to judge them?” is part of what the Pope said. Those quotes appeared very quickly with headlines "Who am I to judge", indicating there may have been a change in the Catholic Church’s view of homosexuality. Very few went on to quote his comment making it clear that the Church continues to support what the Bible says.  Cardinal Dolan on NBC with Matt Lauer was very clear as to the biblical view.

Don’t feel comfortable, though, we’ve all done that – treated what God has given us as a buffet from which we choose what we want, then expect Him to respond to our demands. If we don’t achieve our expectations, we either blame Him or deny Him.

On Wednesday I wrote of Millenials’ reasons for leaving the church, after reading a CNN article. An atheist made a very quick rebuttal, denying God’s existence. Some do, when they perceive Him as an image molded to what they want, instead of what He is.

How man times have we read, “If there were a God he would/wouldn’t (fill in the blank)” and we fill in the blank with what we don’t like. We don’t stop to think that what we don’t like may well be the result of this world's natural state, or of going directly against God’s will. There are consequences that do cause ripples.
Perhaps we need a trip to the potter’s house with Jeremiah:

Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. (Jeremiah 18:2-4 KJV)

We are, most assuredly, marred. There is one, as a ravening wolf or roaring lion, ready to see that marring occurs. We should remember the lesson of the potter’s wheel:

O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. (Jeremiah 18:6 KJV)

God is first. In so many ways I lack the ability to reach second. Yet God provides such gifts:

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15 KJV)

We are second only because He is our father. So difficult to conceptualize – that God loves us to the extent that we are to become His children.  That’s why I’m so eager to cry out with rejoicing:

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15 KJV)