Anchor Bible Church
by James Utter
Have you ever stopped in to admire our local talented glass-blowing artisans? The piece of glass they work with proceeds through several demanding steps before it reaches its final result. This deliberate process takes the unshaped piece of material and transforms it into a beautiful work of art!
The place to start is with a piece of molten glass gathered from the furnace. Inside the furnace, heat over 2,000 degrees turns sand into glowing molten glass. Glass needs to reach its melting point before the designer can conform the raw material into the intended shape. In a similar way, God uses the trials of life to shape our lives into that which is pleasing to the Lord. As we look to the Lord, he works in us while we journey through our path in life.
The experienced glass-blower takes the supple material and transforms it by bringing it through several odd shapes. The sagging glass looks to be in sad form at times. But these positions are only the order it must go through to be changed into what the artist has planned. God uses his own unique methods that are full of thought and care in order to bend us into shape. Some things in our lives only the Lord knows how to handle. At times we may feel we are being bent too far but it is always for a definite purpose.
The good glass artisan uses the right tool at the right time. Blocks are like a large wooden spoon. These help keep the curved shape of the glass. Tweezers twist and pull the material. A steel table conforms the object to the desired shape. In a similar way, the Lord uses people and events in our lives to complete his work.
Air is necessary for glassblowing. Air is sent through the blow pipe. Pressure from the inside helps give the soft glass a rounded shape. Pressures of life try and prove us and are utilized to bring us closer to God. God addresses our daily life in his Book, the Bible. God breathed out his words into the Bible through the process of inspiration. The Bible is God's Book for us to know how to handle the pressures of everyday life.
Glass floats are kept on the move from start to finish. They spin with the blow rod to keep their shape. Constantly you see them turning and rolling. It is this motion that keeps the desired form. Life is that way. One day moves into the next. The Lord will keep working until he is finished. The trusting one has this promise.
Glass floats need time to cool. If they cool too quickly, they will crack. Normally the heated glass sits in a kiln for a day or so. This warm environment allows time for the glass to set. The kiln ensures the finished product will keep its shape and that it will last. God is not in a hurry. He uses time to develop us.
Each glass float is unique. Each one has different colors that are beautifully arranged by the very process it went through. They reflect the light as they are designed to do. We appreciate them because they gleam and glisten. Just as the newly created glass float reflects the light, we should reflect the one who made us and who loves us. Glass floats are shaped by their maker. Those trusting in God's words have a promise.