Preparations for this hobby class involved moulds, plaster, water and patience, to start. The moulds were a variety of Bible verses with designs of flowers and other beautifying decorations. My Dad, and sometimes he'd commandeer his children's assistance, would mix up water and plaster of Paris and carefully pour the sloppy conglomerate into moulds. Then the waiting game began until they set and dried.
If not done just right, the plaster mixture could be too watery, or too thick. There could be air bubbles or other faults in the finished initial product. If you were impatient and decided to separate the plaster text from the mould too soon, you could ruin it; wasting time, effort and ingredients.
When all was well, these somewhat fragile texts would need to be carefully wrapped in protective swaddles and boxed to be "shipped" to the Gospel Tent Hobby Class Afternoon.
On that day, the texts were arranged on a table or two for the young people to choose. Paints would be dug out of other boxes, mixed and set out for the children to use. Paintbrushes would also surface and be strategically distributed at intervals on several tables.
Then, oh glory, what a pleasant, chatter-y summer afternoon of painting ensued. Rainbow colors would begin to appear, slathered with the greatest of ease here and there if not guided more prodigiously, and even sometimes with guidance. Ha, ha. Others, with steady hands and knowing concentration, created their masterpieces with great aplomb.
I have heard from some of those then children, that they still have those meaningful texts so very many years later and even have hung them up upon their own homes' walls.
There's one very important aspect that cannot be overlooked in all this. Success of the quality texts and emerged cheery afternoon hobby class, depended upon the moulds. The moulds, although fixed in some facets, needed to be of malleable material. If it wasn't so, those texts may well have come out of the moulds in dismaying pieces.
Now when I say the moulds were "fixed", I mean the basic design of flowers and the texts of God's beautiful words. Jiggle your mind over to these spiritual questions. Did you know God's Words are the same, yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)? Did you know they are living words (Hebrews 4:12)?
As we read, understand and obey God's "fixed" Word, it can form our character and even our life style, by transforming us from old ways of living, into beautiful obedient children of God. This is the "malleable" part.
Give thanks to God with a grateful heart. Look at what happened to the saints at Rome. Peruse and cogitate on Romans 6:17-19 (ESV),
"But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification."
These particular Romans were "committed" to the standard of teaching. A standard, and not just any standard. In fact, it's better to express this as "The Standard". God's standard. That's fixed. That's the mould. How the Holy Spirit leads and guides an individual with God's standard, moulds and makes the obedient-to-God-person of malleable heart, soul, strength and mind, to be more like our Savior Jesus Christ.
Let this mind be in you! Read Philippians 2:5-8. Paul wrote to the Philippian believers to follow Jesus' humble example. He became our servant!! He
"became obedient...even to death on the cross" (vs 8, ESV).
Jesus always did His Father's will. He moulded Himself to Him and accomplished the purpose for which He was sent to Earth.
"Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God,..." (Hebrews 10:7 ESV)
In the book of Luke chapter 22 and verse 42 (ESV) Jesus prays,
"Father...not my will, but Yours, be done."
Again, Jesus moulded Himself to His Father's will and word. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to well, follow, Him too. Let it be more than just a one day hobby session; let it be our committed passion! Let God's Word mould us to be ever more like Him in word and deed. He is our Standard. Reverently, I say, Jesus and God's Word are the original "Perfect Mould".
~ERC August 2019~
I realize that this is a slightly different slant on the mould, moulding concept as delineated above, but I think you will get the idea. Sing along prayerfully with this Hillsong, The Potter's Hand.
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