Embracing the Mud: How God Uses the Ordinary for Extraordinary Purposes

Embracing the Mud: How God Uses the Ordinary for Extraordinary Purposes

Have you ever felt worthless, like you're just dirt in God's hands? Many of us struggle with feeling inadequate or unworthy of being used by God. But what if I told you that being "mud" in God's hands is exactly where you're meant to be?

The Light That Invades Darkness

The Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness have already established their territories. To expand God's Kingdom, we must be willing to step into places of darkness. Many Christians avoid dark places rather than expand God's territory.

John 1:5 tells us, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it." The word "grasp" here means the darkness cannot comprehend or overtake the light. Light and darkness have no place in each other.

As Christians, we don't need to fear the dark because we are the light. We don't need a night light - we are the light! Christians don't hide from darkness; we invade it with light.

Why Does God Use Mud for Miracles?

In John 9:6-7, Jesus healed a blind man using an unusual method:

"When he had said this, he spit on the ground and made mud from saliva and applied the mud to his eyes. And said to him, 'Go wash in the pool of Siloam' (which is translated, Sent). So he left and washed and came back seeing."

Why would Jesus use mud? This seems strange and messy, but there's profound meaning here.

Genesis 2:7 reminds us that "the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living person." We are made from dust - ordinary, fragile, and messy. But in God's hands, even dust becomes the material of miracles.

You Are the Mud Between God's Hands and Others' Miracles

The mud couldn't heal anybody by itself. But in the Master's hands, it carried healing power. That's our position - not worthy or powerful on our own, but chosen to be the "in-between" that God uses to bring healing to the world.

Every time God heals somebody on Earth, He uses somebody in between His hand and the miracle. You're the mud. You're the miracle. You are the vessel He's using.

Why Does the Enemy Fight So Hard for Territory?

If mud is such a bad thing, why do all the kings of the earth fight over it? Why did Satan offer the kingdoms of the world to Jesus? Because your "dirt" is valuable!

You're the dust God desired. You may be dirty or dusty, but God will use you for destiny. He's got a purpose and a plan for your life. You are the mud between His hands and someone else's miracle.

The Potter's Process: From Mud to Vessel

In ancient times, every village had a potter who would take mud, mix it with water, and shape it on the wheel. At first, it wouldn't look like much - just a lump of mud spinning in his hands. But the potter saw what it could be.

Once formed, the potter didn't put the vessel straight to the shelf. An unfired clay vessel doesn't hold anything - the first drop of water, and it crumbles. So the potter placed it into the fire, not to destroy it, but to strengthen it.

That's what God does with us. He takes the mud of our lives, shapes us in His hands, and sometimes sets us in the fire. While we cry out, "God, why the heat? Why the pressure? Why the battle?" He whispers back, "Because I'm not leaving you fragile. I'm making you strong enough to carry what I'm about to pour into you."

What Happens When We're Thrown in the Fire?

Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? When they were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow to Nebuchadnezzar's idol, something amazing happened. They didn't burn up! The only thing that burned was the ropes that bound them.

There's something about the fire that loosens the grip of the enemy on your life - things you couldn't get free from until the fire showed up. The testing causes you to stand strong in your faith and hardens the vessel God has made.

Interestingly, the guards who threw them into the fire burned up, but the three faithful men didn't. Why? Because darkness will cause the fire that's meant to strengthen you to destroy you instead. The fire can't touch you if you belong to God.

How to Handle When Others Sling Mud at You

The enemy will use people to sling mud at you, accuse you, shame you, or remind you of your past. The good news is you don't need to resist those people. They don't realize they'll burn up long before they break you.

The same mud the Devil shovels is the same mud God uses to shape you. The devil didn't know what the mud was meant for. It wasn't burying you; it was building you. This isn't your burial; this is you becoming a vessel.

Stop carrying other people's dirt around. Stop spreading other people's dirt. It's not for you to decide how God uses the things in others to build what He's building.

Trusting God With Your Process

You don't have to understand why you're in the battle. All you need to know is who's fighting with you. The God who knows your tomorrow equips you with what you need today. He's the only one already standing in your future, so He's the only one you can trust with today.

Nobody gets to a promise without a process. If God gives you a promise, you still need to prepare for it. If God promises to make you a business owner, learn about business. If He promises to make you a doctor, go to medical school. God's promises often require our preparation.

Life Application

When you step out today, remember:

• You're mud, but you're His mud

• You're in the fire, but you won't be broken

• You're in the battle, but you will not fear

• You're the light, and the darkness cannot overcome you

This week, I challenge you to:

• Identify one "dark place" in your life or community where you've been afraid to shine your light. Make a commitment to bring God's presence there.

• Consider the "fire" you're currently experiencing. Instead of asking God to remove it, ask Him what He's trying to strengthen in you through this process.

• Is there someone slinging mud at you? Rather than defending yourself or retaliating, ask God how He wants to use this situation to shape you.

Ask yourself:

• Am I avoiding dark places where God wants me to shine?

• Am I resisting the fire that God is using to strengthen me?

• Am I allowing God to shape me through difficult circumstances, or am I just asking Him to remove them?

• Who needs me to be the "mud" between God's hands and their miracle?

Remember, you were dust, and He breathed into you. You were mud, and He used you for a miracle. You went through the fire, and He made you a vessel for His glory. You may be in a battle, but your battle is your fire, and your fire is making you strong enough to carry the miracle.