Silver Goblets are the Best

Can we all agree that we, as Christians, are vessels for the Master’s use? Some of us are precious fine china, some are single-use Dixie cups, some are durable Tupperware cups. I would like to address the silver goblets here. They can be used ceremoniously and have a practical place in the Kingdom of God. I’m calling a meek person (who is poor in spirit and emotionally needy) a silver goblet. Work with me here.

My dad used to own a brass foundry. Part of his business involved making machine parts from metals. With huge furnaces and big round pots, he melted down the metal and poured the red-hot liquid into a mold. On the top of the red, melted liquid, scum would form. It had to be skimmed off. It was the product waste, or dross. If you ever go to a foundry and watch the process, know that God is watching it with you and has a lesson: Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. (Proverbs 25:4)

Back to our silver goblets… and you might be one yourself—of melancholy nature who frequently gets down in the dumps, unable to rise up. That “down in the dumps” is the dross that needs to be skimmed off from a perfectly useful piece of silver in the Father’s hands.

You’re not useless, as you might feel sometimes. In fact, your self-deprecation, if tweaked, puts you right where God can use you.

Moses was like that. When God appeared to him from the burning bush in Exodus 3 and explained  how He, God, was going to use Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses’ response wasn’t, “Wow, I can hardly wait.” It was, “I am not eloquent… but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” (Ex. 4:10) Moses did not think highly of himself. Even after God explained further that He made Moses like that, Moses still didn’t feel adequate. But we know the rest of the story, and God did use him, and God often spoke with Moses as a friend. (Ex. 33:11) What was it about Moses that God really liked? It was his meekness.  Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. (Num. 12:3) It means poor, humble and needy. People like that will turn to God for strength. They will depend on Him, and remember, while our parents raised us to be independent, God is raising us to be dependent.  

Jesus was also meek: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Mat 11:29) He asks us to be meek, too. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (Col. 3:12)

For some people—our silver goblets—being meek is just who they are. And maybe that’s you. You’re not flamboyant or the life of the party. You are more inward, and you brood easily. You are introspective and easily see faults in yourself and others. Amidst all of that, there is some dross that needs to be skimmed off. Don’t let the negative thoughts overpower you and render you useless. Say, “Yes God. Whatever you want me to do, even though I don’t feel adequate, I’ll do it.” Then find your strength in this promise: For it is God which worked in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13) Your weakness can be your strength in God’s hands (2 Cor. 12:10)