Broken Clay Vessels Made Whole

UV 1800/10000 Broken Clay Vessels Made Whole

He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
Song of Solomon 2 v 4

The Lord calls us to His house. His house is a house of celebration like the house of the father of the returning prodigal son. The Lord desires that our hearts and minds be filled with His love and His joy. What delights the Lord we delight in and we derive our strength, nourishment and power from therein. He invites us to a continual banquet. His banner of love that is contained in John 3 v 16 is a standing invitation to all mankind. The cross is the pedestal that holds up this invitation for all mankind to see, both the great and the small as well as those in between.

The foundation of the banqueting house is the Rock called Jesus. The compound is fenced with walls of fire. The glory or the exceeding greatness and immaculate perfection of the Lord is seen in our midst or in our workaday world. The servants of God are the ones who serve the banquet to the rest of mankind. The delicious dishes are the precepts and the promises of the Lord. The ambience is one of heaven and the fragrance is that of the aroma of Christ. The music is the praise and worship of all mankind and of angels, too. The song that is sung is the Song of the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain as a sacrifice and rose again as the Lion of Judah. The cause for celebration is the coming home of those who belong to the Lord and to whom the Lord belongs. The standard of the House is not one of power , might and of war but one to manifest true love. The Lord not only invites us but He provides the transport through the agency of the Holy Spirit. Life being a continual spiritual banquet, we should be chewing on, tasting or digesting one or other promise and precept of the Lord. The Lord honours us for our faithfulness to Him and declares in public what we have done in secret or private. The roof or canopy of the house is the shadow or presence of the Almighty. His shadow is more real, powerful and glorious than the physical presence of all other beings.

The Lord is the King who collects not golden vessels of perfection but He revels in collecting broken vessels of clay. We are those broken vessels of clay. But when the divine healing touch of His burning finger touches our cracks, the fissures and fractures are cured forever and we become better than vessels of pure gold. Other clay vessels have a burning flame and heat applied on the outside and for a time till they are hardened but we have the fire burning inside us and continually, not to harden us but to soften us even as our minds and bodies are hardened to bear suffering like the Christ in us. It is the message that we carry or contain that defines us and not our outer form. The intent of the content is to convey the love of God to all. People should not be found to be preoccupied or too busy to heed the invitation of the Lord. They should not be too focussed on their private affairs, their business or their engagements so as not to be able to heed the voice of the Lord inviting them to the banquet of the Lord. The whole of scripture is but an invitation to mankind and the whole of life is a banquet. Our experiences and testimonies are the variety of dishes that are on display and for wholesome consumption. The joy of the Lord is much more than what many flagons of wine can deliver. The house of love is also a house of victory. We can shout to the Lord with a voice of triumph.

Prateep V Philip