Many of us might have heard the popular Wole Adenuga slogan "We are nothing but pencils in the hand of the Creator". A pencil is a tool used for writing and drawing. When an Artist uses a pencil to draw a beautiful picture, who gets the praise? Is it the pencil or the Artist? We all know it's the Artist, and it will be foolishness for anyone to start praising the pencil.
That is how we are in the hand of God, a tool. God is the workman, and whatever He does through us, the praise should go to Him, not to us the tool.
It's very good to appreciate a servant of God or anyone God uses to do something for us, but all the praise should go to God. We shouldn't see that person as the one behind our miracle because when God decides to do something for anyone, He's ready to use anybody, even the least person you expected.
It's not uncommon to see people hailing men of God and showering praises on them because of the miracles done through them. They forget that God as the Artist is the one behind that beautiful picture they are seeing, not the person or the pencil He used. Appreciate that person in any way you can, but all the praise and glory should go to God because God can never share His glory with anyone. He said in Isaiah 42:8 "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images".
And if God uses you to do anything, let Him take all the praise and glory because you are just a tool in His hand. We all know an Artist will have varieties of pencils to choose from, and it will be out of place for a particular pencil he used to draw a particular picture to come and say, "If not for me, I bet this picture wouldn't have been drawn or look beautiful". Says who? Please never allow pride make you share God's glory with Him.
Even when God gives you wisdom and understanding of his Word, and you are able to teach others what they never knew about God and His word, never take it that you are too knowledgeable or wise, the wisdom is still His.

the artist, because a good artist can even use dust to design artistic work

dollytino4real:
the artist, because a good artist can even use dust to design artistic work

That's just it. God can use the least thing you think of to do whatever He wants to do.

Zither:
Great read. This reminds me that we are like the object of a painting whose view is limited. We know nothing about the start or end of the painting, but we can trust the Artist because He knows and sees the big picture we cannot see, and He sees to it that everything is working out for the good of those who love Him. To him be the glory and honour forever and ever. Amen.

Amen and Amen! Thank you so much for this wonderful contribution and reminder.

amyblessed:
Many of us might have heard the popular Wole Adenuga slogan "We are nothing but pencils in the hand of the Creator". A pencil is a tool used for writing and drawing. When an Artist uses a pencil to draw a beautiful picture, who gets the praise? Is it the pencil or the Artist? We all know it's the Artist, and it will be foolishness for anyone to start praising the pencil.
That is how we are in the hand of God, a tool. God is the workman, and whatever He does through us, the praise should go to Him, not to us the tool.
It's very good to appreciate a servant of God or anyone God uses to do something for us, but all the praise should go to God. We shouldn't see that person as the one behind our miracle because when God decides to do something for anyone, He's ready to use anybody, even the least person you expected.
It's not uncommon to see people hailing men of God and showering praises on them because of the miracles done through them. They forget that God as the Artist is the one behind that beautiful picture they are seeing, not the person or the pencil He used. Appreciate that person in any way you can, but all the praise and glory should go to God because God can never share His glory with anyone. He said in Isaiah 42:8 "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images".
And if God uses you to do anything, let Him take all the praise and glory because you are just a tool in His hand. We all know an Artist will have varieties of pencils to choose from, and it will be out of place for a particular pencil he used to draw a particular picture to come and say, "If not for me, I bet this picture wouldn't have been drawn or look beautiful". Says who? Please never allow pride make you share God's glory with Him.
Even when God gives you wisdom and understanding of his Word, and you are able to teach others what they never knew about God and His word, never take it that you are too knowledgeable or wise, the wisdom is still His.

Yeah!

And yet some pencils in the hands of the Artist would begin to think that they are the ones that should dictate to the Artist and determines which pencils He uses for His drawings, and how He uses them for his drawings, and the kind of pictures He uses them to draw?

Maybe such pencils think they know better than the artist, and hence have shown that they do not really care about the artist or truly have His interest at heart, that's if He gets the glory He deserves for His drawings, but only care about themselves in truth!

Hence before they should concern themselves about the other pencils, they should first of all remove that mountain in their pencil eyes to enable them see more clearly the mole in the eye of other pencils, and hence be able to remove them.

#wisdomisjustifiedofherchildren

God bless you for this

TheRevivalist:
God bless you for this

Amen! And you too

jesusjnr:
Yeah!

And yet some pencils in the hands of the Artist would begin to think that they are the ones that should dictate to the Artist and determines which pencils He uses for His drawings, and how He uses them for his drawings, and the kind of pictures He uses them to draw?

Maybe such pencils think they know better than the artist, and hence have shown that they do not really care about the artist or truly have His interest at heart, that's if He gets the glory He deserves for His drawings, but only care about themselves in truth!

Hence before they should concern themselves about the other pencils, they should first of all remove that mountain in their pencil eyes to enable them see more clearly the mole in the eye of other pencils, and hence be able to remove them.

#wisdomisjustifiedofherchildren

I lack words for your write up because I cant fathom what you are insinuating. However, your thoughts remains your thoughts and the Word of God remains the Word of God. It doesn't change because of anyone no matter how one tries to twist it. Thanks

amyblessed:


I lack words for your write up because I cant fathom what you are insinuating. However, your thoughts remains your thoughts and the Word of God remains the Word of God. It doesn't change because of anyone no matter how one tries to twist it. Thanks

Yeah!

You can't fathom or do not want to accept the truth?

But you didn't talk about your own thoughts, so what are your thoughts, as if you don't know that such is subject to personal interpretation.

The Word of God apparently means different things to the both of us, because the Word of God to me are the Words of the Kingdom of God that Jesus brought to mankind on the instruction of the Father in heaven. (Jn 17)

So if the Bible is the word of God to you, then Bible luck to you.

p.s. amyblessed is still my good friend whether she likes it or not!

jesusjnr:
Yeah!

You can't fathom or do not want to accept the truth?

The Word of God apparently means different things to the both of us, because the Word of God to me are the Words of the Kingdom of God that Jesus brought to mankind on the instruction of the Father in heaven. (Jn 17)

So if the Bible is the word of God to you, then Bible luck to you.

p.s. amyblessed is still my good friend whether she likes it or not!

Not that I dont want to agree with the truth, I just cant figure your intent for writing this. I will only agree with any truth when I understand it, i.e if its actually a truth.

#smiles# Disagreement concerning some areas of the Word of God does not make us enemies. We only disagreed to agree. #stillfriends

amyblessed:


Not that I dont want to agree with the truth, I just cant figure your intent for writing this. I will only agree with any truth when I understand it, i.e if its actually a truth.

#smiles# Disagreement concerning some areas of the Word of God does not make us enemies. We only disagreed to agree. #stillfriends

See Amy do you know why I fighting hard to make you a part of what God's doing with me here on nairaland?

jesusjnr:
See Amy do you know why I fighting hard to make you a part of what God's doing with me here on nairaland?

Really? I dont know o, tell me.

amyblessed:


Really? I dont know o, tell me.

Because I think you are my Master's sheep, and hence that you deserve to be a part of it and not view it as an outsider.

So even though you disagree with some of the things that I say, do not use that to disqualify me, for I assure you that you'd eventually regret it, and for me you don't deserve to be a part of all those who would.

You're different from them Amy, that's the only reason why you'd endorse my "God is like a little child" thread when most Christians here denounced it.

So that's why.

jesusjnr:
Because I think you are my Master's sheep, and hence that you deserve to be a part of it and not view it as an outsider.

So even though you disagree with some of the things that I say, do not use that to disqualify me, for I assure you that you'd eventually regret it, and for me you don't deserve to be a part of all those who would.

You're different from them Amy, that's the only reason why you'd endorse my "God is like a little child" thread when most Christians here denounced it.

So that's why.

Point of correction, Please I'm God's sheep, not the sheep of any other. And please dont tell me I will regret it if I disqualify you or whatever. Why will I have a reason to regret anything when I know am standing on the word of God. Dont I have the right to reject any teaching I can see clearly that it's not what the Bible teaches?
That I liked your thread, 'God is like a little child', I didnt really avert my mind to the topic. I read through it and saw what you meant, which is that we need to be like a little child in order to enter the kingdom of God, which is what the bible teaches.
It was actually the content of your thread that I liked, not really the topic which I know is the reason why people reacted negatively to that thread.

amyblessed:


Point of correction, Please I'm God's sheep, not the sheep of any other. And please dont tell me I will regret it if I disqualify you or whatever. Why will I have a reason to regret anything when I know am standing on the word of God. Dont I have the right to reject any teaching I can see clearly that it's not what the Bible teaches?
That I liked your thread, 'God is like a little child', I didnt really avert my mind to the topic. I read through it and saw what you meant, which is that we need to be like a little child in order to enter the kingdom of God, which is what the bible teaches.
It was actually the content of your thread that I liked, not really the topic which I know is the reason why people reacted negatively to that thread.

OK!

Nice write-up at the beginning though I didn't finish it before some questions start pumping into my mind....

Since we are nothing but just pencils that means all the good deeds are God's doing?

So why evil and wrong acts are now being attributed to the devil/Satan?

Somehow it feels we are the one judging Satan and God and we (believers) are very impartial in so doing.


Our mind has been made up that bad equals Satan and Good equals God, so they will not be anyway we can judge partially...

But if we are nothing but pencil in God's hand (artist) both wrong and right drawing should be the artist fault and not shifting the blames when the drawing goes wrong and accepting praises when it goes right...

I need clarification please but rationally don't use Bible reference as evidence as it will always support one party GOD.

Let's discuss

Cc:
Amyblessed
Jesusjnr
Zither
dollytino4real

Hahn, CAPSLOCKED,
HopefulLandlord,
JujuSugar, IAmSabrina,
1Sharon,
HellVictorinho, MrPRevailer

If I mentioned you wrongly, sorry I just copied it from a post, I am on the verge of learning.

great664:
Nice write-up at the beginning though I didn't finish it before some questions start pumping into my mind....

Since we are nothing but just pencils that means all the good deeds are God's doing?

So why evil and wrong acts are now being attributed to the devil/Satan?

Somehow it feels we are the one judging Satan and God and we (believers) are very impartial in so doing.


Our mind has been made up that bad equals Satan and Good equals God, so they will not be anyway we can judge partially...

But if we are nothing but pencil in God's hand (artist) both wrong and right drawing should be the artist fault and not shifting the blames when the drawing goes wrong and accepting praises when it goes right...

I need clarification please but rationally don't use Bible reference as evidence as it will always support one party GOD.

Let's discuss

Cc:
Amyblessed
Jesusjnr
Zither
dollytino4real

Hahn, CAPSLOCKED,
HopefulLandlord,
JujuSugar, IAmSabrina,
1Sharon,
HellVictorinho, MrPRevailer

If I mentioned you wrongly, sorry I just copied it from a post, I am on the verge of learning.

Why should we not use the Bible as reference? When you want to write educated article are science research journals not cited? If not, the article will be non-credible.
This is a spiritual matter. And the Bible is the highest source for spiritual matters. So I'd say go and read the Bible. Because science doesn't have the slightest answer to this your question. Niether do we, except what is learnt from the apocrypha books, of which Bible is the most credible.

*The miracles Jesus performed in Bible are real and still happen today (check my recent posts)
* All the historical regions and locations the biblical characters passed are still existent today with lots of biblical footprints/evidences, despite ungodly attempts to erase them all. Unlike some books mentioning non-existent islands such as Atlantis that only tickles your fancy.
*Satanists, occultists, idolaterers carry out a lot of human rituals, which is a physical telling sign that their master is evil. You cannot see such in Christendom.
In the Bible God told Israel, don't join yourself to people of baal who offer human sacrifices. Moreover, armrobbers, ritualists get powers from spiritist doctors (who serve idols/demons) to fortify them selves while they waste human lives among other evil deeds.

And plenty more.

great664:
Nice write-up at the beginning though I didn't finish it before some questions start pumping into my mind....

Since we are nothing but just pencils that means all the good deeds are God's doing?

So why evil and wrong acts are now being attributed to the devil/Satan?

First of, I think I think it's very wrong to blame Satan for any wrong or bad thing that has happened to man, for Satan would never have been able to have inflicted any damage on man without man's consent or approval.

Therefore I absolutely put all blame on man for everything wrong that happens or had happened to him, for no one would have been able to cause any damage or harm to him without his approval.

And this mindset is one that defines my orientation, for I believe that i'm absolutely responsible for every action I take and decision I make, and nobody else, not even the devil.

For though he may have played a role, or even the woman, or the serpent, as it was in the beginning, but the bulk stops with me, as if I say no, it is no!

Then next up is the illustration of the pencil, and the artist, as man and his creator, which I don't think completely does justice to the relationship that both share, for something left out the illustration is man's freewill or the ability to make choices of his own as a living soul.

So i think that maybe adding some breath of life to the pencil, to make it a living pencil would do more justice to the scenario, as the living pencil can decide if it want to follow the direction to which the artist is taking it or not, as man is with respect to his Creator.

So in that respect the artist is not responsible for all the pictures that is drawn by the living pencil, but He is only responsible for the picture to the extent to which the living pencil is willing to allow Him draw with it whatsoever He desires.

Zither:
Illustrations to accompany the topic...

Very well illustrated. Thank you so much

I didnt even know what was going on on my thread, have been busy since morning I will get back. thanks

.

great664:
Nice write-up at the beginning though I didn't finish it before some questions start pumping into my mind....

Since we are nothing but just pencils that means all the good deeds are God's doing?

So why evil and wrong acts are now being attributed to the devil/Satan?

Somehow it feels we are the one judging Satan and God and we (believers) are very impartial in so doing.


Our mind has been made up that bad equals Satan and Good equals God, so they will not be anyway we can judge partially...

But if we are nothing but pencil in God's hand (artist) both wrong and right drawing should be the artist fault and not shifting the blames when the drawing goes wrong and accepting praises when it goes right...

I need clarification please but rationally don't use Bible reference as evidence as it will always support one party GOD.

Let's discuss

Cc:
Amyblessed
Jesusjnr
Zither
dollytino4real

Hahn, CAPSLOCKED,
HopefulLandlord,
JujuSugar, IAmSabrina,
1Sharon,
HellVictorinho, MrPRevailer

If I mentioned you wrongly, sorry I just copied it from a post, I am on the verge of learning.

Wow? we have all answered well. From Zither, to jesusjnr, to MrPRevailer. Your answers are all superb. Thank you so much.
To go further in answering your question, the truth is that NOT EVERYONE is a pencil in the hand of God. The Bible said that to whom you yield yourself, he's your master.
Those that are really pencils in the hand of the Creator are those that have really yielded their lives to Him, he uses them to do whatever He wants to do, as God cannot come down by Himself and do anything, He has to use those that are His own.
On the other hand, anyone that has not yet given or surrendered his or her life to Jesus is a tool in the hand of the devil. That person can do any kind of evil you can think of. In fact, the devil uses such a person to work just like God uses His own children to work.
You should know that there are people that have dedicated their lives to the devil, and so he uses them to perpetrate evil just like God uses his children to do good.
So, my post is actually directed at those who have yielded their lives to Christ and are being used by Him to heal, deliver people and do miracles since He Himself cannot come down and do it. I'm only telling us that whatever God does with any of us His children, all the glory and praise should be returned to Him and not to we the tool He uses.
Hope you got my explanation?

Zither:
Great664

I shall begin by stating the fact that God created both light and darkness. He created good and evil. The question is why would He do that knowing the extent of destruction evil would perpetuate on His creation? The answer is simple — God is a JUST God — and He gives everyone the RIGHT to choose what they want to do with their lives. He hates evil but being a just God He lets evil co-exist with good for a period of time. In the end, no one will accuse Him of denying them the right to choose whether to serve Him or not.

He knew He must give each one of us a choice to make knowing the choices we would make.

He, as the Great Artist, knows the individual purpose He designed for each life on earth, and works to achieve them only in partnership and agreement with us. When the drawing is beautiful it is because we let God use us for what He created us to fulfill. When the drawing is anything but beautiful it is because we have exercised our will to follow the path we want, and God being a just God lets us have our way....to think we know the territory better than the One who created the territory is completely ridiculous.

Thanks for coming to my rescue first, and you all did justice to the question.

jesusjnr:
First of, I think I think it's very wrong to blame Satan for any wrong or bad thing that has happened to man, for Satan would never have been able to have inflicted any damage on man without man's consent or approval.

Therefore I absolutely put all blame on man for everything wrong that happens or had happened to him, for no one would have been able to cause any damage or harm to him without his approval.

And this mindset is one that defines my orientation, for I believe that i'm absolutely responsible for every action I take and decision I make, and nobody else, not even the devil.

For though he may have played a role, or even the woman, or the serpent, as it was in the beginning, but the bulk stops with me, as if I say no, it is no!

Then next up is the illustration of the pencil, and the artist, as man and his creator, which I don't think completely does justice to the relationship that both share, for something left out the illustration is man's freewill or the ability to make choices of his own as a living soul.

So i think that maybe adding some breath of life to the pencil, to make it a living pencil would do more justice to the scenario, as the living pencil can decide if it want to follow the direction to which the artist is taking it or not, as man is with respect to his Creator.

So in that respect the artist is not responsible for all the pictures that is drawn by the living pencil, but He is only responsible for the picture to the extent to which the living pencil is willing to allow Him draw with it whatsoever He desires.

Nice answer jesusjnr!

MrPRevailer:


Why should we not use the Bible as reference? When you want to write educated article are science research journals not cited? If not, the article will be non-credible.
This is a spiritual matter. And the Bible is the highest source for spiritual matters. So I'd say go and read the Bible. Because science doesn't have the slightest answer to this your question. Niether do we, except what is learnt from the apocrypha books, of which Bible is the most credible.

*The miracles Jesus performed in Bible are real and still happen today (check my recent posts)
* All the historical regions and locations the biblical characters passed are still existent today with lots of biblical footprints/evidences, despite ungodly attempts to erase them all. Unlike some books mentioning non-existent islands such as Atlantis that only tickles your fancy.
*Satanists, occultists, idolaterers carry out a lot of human rituals, which is a physical telling sign that their master is evil. You cannot see such in Christendom.
In the Bible God told Israel, don't join yourself to people of baal who offer human sacrifices. Moreover, armrobbers, ritualists get powers from spiritist doctors (who serve idols/demons) to fortify them selves while they waste human lives among other evil deeds.

And plenty more.

Thank You MrPRevailer, nice one

I am an atheist, and therefore I consider it wrong to praise something non-existent for the work that you did yourself. For all books, songs, paintings, etc. you need to thank their creators, not fictional characters. Anyway, I don’t like all these religious topics, I like to read normal books. For example, Stendhal's novel "Red and Black". I bought it on the site https://kisslibrary.net, they have good prices, fast delivery and excellent quality.

MrPRevailer:


Why should we not use the Bible as reference? When you want to write educated article are science research journals not cited? If not, the article will be non-credible.
This is a spiritual matter. And the Bible is the highest source for spiritual matters. So I'd say go and read the Bible. Because science doesn't have the slightest answer to this your question. Niether do we, except what is learnt from the apocrypha books, of which Bible is the most credible.

*The miracles Jesus performed in Bible are real and still happen today (check my recent posts)
* All the historical regions and locations the biblical characters passed are still existent today with lots of biblical footprints/evidences, despite ungodly attempts to erase them all. Unlike some books mentioning non-existent islands such as Atlantis that only tickles your fancy.
*Satanists, occultists, idolaterers carry out a lot of human rituals, which is a physical telling sign that their master is evil. You cannot see such in Christendom.
In the Bible God told Israel, don't join yourself to people of baal who offer human sacrifices. Moreover, armrobbers, ritualists get powers from spiritist doctors (who serve idols/demons) to fortify them selves while they waste human lives among other evil deeds.

And plenty more.

Demons are not as consequential as humans with terrible states of mind.

JohnieDaniels:
I am an atheist, and therefore I consider it wrong to praise something non-existent for the work that you did yourself. For all books, songs, paintings, etc. you need to thank their creators, not fictional characters. Anyway, I don’t like all these religious topics, I like to read normal books. For example, Stendhal's novel "Red and Black". I bought it on the site https://kisslibrary.net, they have good prices, fast delivery and excellent quality.

Since you are an Atheist, you should have done well to keep off this thread, it's not meant for you but for those that know they have a Creator which is God.

Everyone ended up absolving the almighty (Artist) from any blame of the wrong drawing. He alone knowest all but still went ahead to create his greatest adversary (the satan) to destroy the beautiful things he made and then turn around to punish innocent human like us and threaten us with evalasating fire if we don't follow his path, I don't think the satan or devil ever threaten anyone to follow him, People do willingly, so if i may ask who has giving FREE WILL