Hearing His Voice #134

Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.

Jeremiah 18:2, NIV

God had a word for Jeremiah, but He wouldn’t simply tell it to him. He wanted to show it to him. It was a visual message, an illustration from everyday life, a parable that would play out before his eyes. He told Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house and observe.

As Jeremiah watched the potter reshape a marred pot into another form, he heard the message clearly. God, the master potter, has every right to reshape His people. He can warn nations of judgment and then turn away from judgment if they repent. Or He can intend good for a people and then reconsider if they turn from Him. All of this was demonstrated by a potter’s hand, not by a sermon or an explanation by the Spirit’s voice. Why did God choose to communicate this way? Because a picture is worth a thousand words. Or because pictures often can represent truth better than words can. Or because the image of a potter reshaping clay would stick in the psyche of God’s people much longer than a lecture would. All of these reasons are true because God knows how to illustrate His point.

God knows how to illustrate His points in our lives too, but we need to learn how to “go down to the potter’s house” to get them. In other words, we need to keep our eyes and ears open for the pictures He wants to show us. When we ask God to teach us through the visual illustrations of our lives, He answers. He gives us insights and understanding that we would not have perceived if we were simply listening for words. In the midst of mundane routines, we suddenly grasp spiritual truths by noticing the world around us and spiritually tuning in to what God is saying through it. And everyday life begins to come alive with His voice.

Holy Spirit, speak to me in the events of this day. Teach me something new. Show me a parable of Your Kingdom as I open my eyes and ears to Your illustrations.