Clay In The Potter’s Hands

Clay In The Potter’s Hands

LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand. –Isaiah 64:8

My mother-in-law used to live next door to a potter in Oregon. From the wheel and kiln in his garage, he turned ordinary lumps of clay into things of beauty. But some of his creations were flawed, and he offered them to Rita for next to nothing, several of which she passed along to us. I don’t know exactly what went wrong with these pots to cause their imperfections. The potter was out to make a thing of beauty, a piece of art that reflected the design and desire of the artist. Perhaps the clay wasn’t pliable enough to take the shape he had in mind, or perhaps a hidden flaw became more pronounced somewhere in the process.

Throughout Scripture, God uses the metaphor of a potter to show us his sovereignty. He sent the prophet Jeremiah to the house of a potter who skillfully shaped a piece of clay with his hands into a beautiful vessel. When another pot he was making was marred, the potter tossed it aside and began a new pot. God said, “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand” (Jeremiah 18:6).

You are in the hands of God right now, being shaped and formed just as a potter shapes clay. The difficulties you are facing bring you against the pressure of the Potter’s wheel, and you are held there by the hand of the Potter. You can resist his shaping through rebellion or resentment. You can become offended with God and determined to shape your life into your image of what is worthwhile and beautiful. Or you can welcome the work of the Potter and allow him to shape your life.

Sometimes we just don’t like what the Potter does, do we? “Why did God make me the way I am? Why isn’t he using me in the place or position I desire?” So we have to ask ourselves, Does God have the right to shape my life according to his own wise purpose, or not? Though we are tempted to resist, we must answer yes!

Potter, I give you this lump of clay called my life. Use whatever pressure is needed to shape me into something of great worth in your sight, something of beauty in your estimation, something fit for displaying your glory!

DIGGING DEEPER