Apr 28, 2026 – Shaping
This is the bouncy house, as it was inflating (and shaping up), that Don and I got for our grandsons’ (in Italy) birthdays.
Streams – Cowman draws from the writings of A. B. Simpson: “God is preparing His heroes; and when opportunity comes, He can fit them into their pace in a moment, and the world will wonder where they came from. Let the Holy Ghost prepare you, dear friend by the discipline of life; and when the last finishing touch has been given to the marble, it will be easy for God to put it on the pedestal, and fit it into its niche.”
Utmost – Chambers adds to the idea of God shaping us, “This is the unshakeable secret of the Lord to those who trust Him – I will give thee thy life. What more does a man want than his life? It is the essential thing. ‘Thy life…for a prey’ [Jeremiah 45:5] means that wherever you may go, even if it into hell, you will come out with your life, nothing can harm it…. Are you prepared to let God take you into union with Himself, and pay no more attention to what you call the ‘great things’? Are you prepared to abandon entirely and let go? ….Abandon means to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions….. When you do get through to abandonment to God, you will be the most surprised and delighted creature on earth…. If you are not there, it is either because of disobedience or a refusal to be simple enough.”
Simpson – “For it is God which worketh in you” (Phil ii. 13). Simpson explains, “Sanctification is the gift of the Holy Ghost, the fruit of the Spirit, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the prepared inheritance of all who enter in, the greatest obtainment of faith, not the attainment of works. It is divine holiness, not human self-improvement, nor perfection…. It is God’s great elevator carrying us up to the higher chambers of His palace, without over-laborious efforts, while others struggle up the winding stairs and faint by the way.”
Power – Psalm 19:14 – “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.” Joyce points out that, “Properly chosen words can actually change lives for the better. What you say can tear down or build up, so choose words that are agreeable with God’s will.”
[Below is what the bouncy house eventually shaped into when the air machine finished filling it. As long as the air was blowing, the house stayed in shape and ready for play. This makes me think of how we can be inflated and deflated by experiences and emotions all throughout our lives. As long as the divine breath of God is blowing in us, we can stay inflated even when situations threaten to deflate us.]
