There is a reason ....

 .. that the word is "mold" and not "bend". 

We ask Jehovah God to mold us to his will. We ask this, because, we are promised it is a thing that can be done and we have a reason to believe it will be better than the world or even ourself shaping us to a different will. 

Jehovah could, by the strength of his power, bend everyone and everything to his will. It has been proven that he can do so and will do so, enough to protect his people when it is time for their protection. He does not do so at any other time, to any other degree. He does, however, mold his servants to his will, and they like it that way. 

What's the difference? 

Look at a tree that lived forever with harsh winds ripping through it. It is a testament to standing firm against brutality; misshapen where it had to yield, simply to survive the onslaught. Of course, the wind has no will, but it still gives a clue to what being bent versus molded is. 

Look at a metal worker, who takes a sheet of metal and cuts it, and with varied tools literally bends it to the desired shape to fit their purpose. Compare to a sculptor, who with loving hands strokes a little water onto clay and smooths more clay on here, gently removes an unneeded bit there, until the piece is beautiful and fit for best use. 

Either person gets what they desire from the process, if they are skillful. Yet, Jehovah is called the Great Potter, because, he is working with clay and he is more gentle with us, his clay that he formed into Man, than the Great Blacksmith would be with his metal. 

Now, when it comes to refining, we are compared to silver. That is not about being bent to someone's will, though. That is about a process that takes a long time and is repeated over and over, until every impurity possible is removed. A continual removal from the filth of its former environment. As far as working with metal goes, it is one of the nicer things done, too.

When we pray to Jehovah to be refined, we can expect it to be challenging, at times. It's not as easy as being molded. However, the more one is molded to his will, the less refining one needs and the easier the refining will become. 

These are just my morning thoughts, on a day after I looked at a big, huge problem in my life, defect in my personality, the trap of my flesh and other circumstances, and begged Jehovah that there is always supposed to be a way out, but where is mine, I can't see it. Then, ended up throwing away several things that were part of the trap and which.. hmm .. I probably should have seen as that, but did not. 

That part of the solution was simple. If it takes- as in, if I remember it and live with it- it will make my refining process so much easier. 

I hope you find your joy! 

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