Like the songwriter that says: “make me a vessel; make mean offering; make me whatever You want me to be”,
One thing God has made us become, especially for Himself is as a vessel. A vessel as we know it is a container.
God has ordained that we as men contain (and reveal) Him. He made this possible by giving us His Spirit.
As Burning and Shining Light, it is important to note what kind of light we are. That we simply are the kind that
reflects the True Light (John 1:9). We have been made a vessel of His light and that we must be. So simply put, we are vessels of the True Light. Now, concerning our ministry as vessels, we are to do it burning. Burning in the sense of a vessel simply connotes that what we have inside should be what is revealed. What I mean by that is, upon seeing a vessel is not lit, the first thing that is taken note of is the exterior of the vessel; of what material it is made, what artwork was done on it, etc. However, if it is lit, the first thing that would be noted about it is the fire that it burns with. This is much the same as the light of the believer. That at every point in our lives, it should be Who we carry inside that is seen and not what we have amassed concerning ourselves (those things about us that men do not need God to see). Paul would say that we carry the treasure of this light in earthen vessels (2Cor 4:7), therefore, it does not matter what material: background, past history, financial status, body shape, height etc. Really, it is good to discover early how un-special we are in ourselves. That our value is actually in the life that Christ gave us, not in ourselves.
The latter part of that song says:”I lay down my old flames to carry Your new fire today”. At every point in our lives, we must be found to be burn-ING. It takes His help to live for Him. It really does. In addition, never forget to shine. If you do not, no relevance will be placed on you well enough for men to see the Father in you.
In conclusion, He that has called us lights did not leave us in the dark as regards what it means to be so. He has first shined for us by His life on earth, all we need do is yield ourselves as vessels for Him to express His good will through our lives. I am a vessel for the Lord Jesus, and yes, I am a burning vessel. What about you?
Victor Fasoro