C A R L B. G A R N E R

THE MASTER'S TOUCH

They say ³You can¹t make a silk purse out of a sow¹s ear,² and I guess there is some truth in that old saying. But that¹s not always true, for God has made some beautiful things out of what some might consider poor quality goods. One illustration of this can even be seen in the efforts of man. We know the value of the peanut, the soy bean, the mesquite tree, and even waste water now has been made useful. If man can do these things, just think what God can do....even with ³inferior² material. Many of you reading these words may have been considered poor ³cloth² from which to make a good person. I know a certain High School English teacher who probably thought there wasn¹t much hope for me, especially in an academic setting. Many men and women who were not voted ³Most Likely to Succeed² are now among the most successful people in the world. Something happened to bring out their potential, their worth.

Are there some terrible things in your past, before you became a Christian? Would the preacher you knew when you were 14 years old be surprised to hear that you are a faithful Christian today? For all of us there are those who saw us at our worst and may have thought we had little potential for making a difference in the world. What happened to turn your life around? Was it a teacher? Was it a friend? Was it the Bible?

It is amazing what God can do with what others think is worthless fabric. Simon Peter was hardly one in whom others saw the spiritual potential that developed. What about Matthew, a tax collector who was hated by his people but became one of Jesus¹ apostles? Onesimus, a slave belonging to Philemon, was able to teach his master some valuable lessons. Saul of Tarsus was hardly expected to be the apostle to the gentile world, but God made a vessel of honor of him, Romans 9:21. He can do the same thing for all of us, for if we are willing to be the clay, He will be the potter. In fact, Paul was inspired to write that if a man was willing to be fashioned, to be submissive to God¹s will, to purge himself from elements in his life that destroy his influence, he can ³be a vessel of honour, sanctified, and meet for the master¹s use, and prepared for every good work,² 2 Timothy 2:20-26.

He made a king out of a shepherd boy. He made a prophet out of an ³herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit,² Amos 7:14. He made a ³profitable² worker in the kingdom out of a rebellious youth, 2 Timothy 4:11. He made a leader and prophetess out of a talented woman, Judges 4. He can make an instrument of righteousness of you if you will but let him, Romans 6:13.

How God does these things is not apparent, but they are done. One of the best loved poems ever written discusses this very point:

³T¹was battered and scarred,
and the auctioneer thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin, But he held it up with a smile.
³What am I bidden, good folk?² he cried, ³Who¹ll start the bidding for me?
³A dollar., a dollar...then two, only two? Two dollars, and who¹ll make it three?
Going for three--but no--From the room far back, a gray-haired man Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin, And tightening the loosened strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer, With a voice that was quiet and low, Said,
³Now what am I bid for the old violin?²
And he held it up with the bow.
³A thousand dollars, and who¹ll make it two? Two thousand, and who¹ll make it three?
³Three thousand once...three thousand twice...And going and gone, cried he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried, ³We do not understand. What changed its worth?²
Quick came the reply,
The touch of the Master¹s Hand.
³And many a man with life out of tune, And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap, to a thoughtless crowd, much like the old violin.
A ³mess of pottage²...a glass of wine,
A game...and he travels on:
He is going once...and going twice...
He¹s going and almost gone!
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd never can quite understand
The worth of a soul, and the change that¹s wrought, by
The touch of the Master¹s Hand.²

Many of us have heard the words of this beautiful and instructive bit of poetic language and been touched by its poignant meaning. Surely we realize that, just as the touch of a master violinist¹s hand can elevate the worth of an old instrument, so can the touch of the hand of God make wonderful changes in the life of one who has been heretofore unappreciated and ignored.

You will notice that no miracle took place with the old violin. It was just the ability of the master to bring out the beauty and worth of that blending of wood and fiber. Just so today, a man with a questionable past can be transformed into a useful, worthwhile, spiritually uplifting human being. But it will take all of our effort, longsuffering, talent and skill. Let God¹s Hand bring out the latent worth that has been hidden for too long. You be the clay, and let God be the potter. Your skill and God¹s way can give you the ability to do great things in His sight. Why not choose to become an instrument of His righteousness? Why not make that choice today?