Molded by The Potter

One of my favorite attributes of God is the way he speaks using visuals. All throughout the Bible, we see how he makes the best analogies and stoops down to reach us at our level. Take Jeremiah 18:1-10 (in the NLT)

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.”  So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

Then the Lord gave me this message: “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. If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.

Now, I’m no potter/artist/artisan/whatever, but I think the message is pretty loud and clear: He is God; I am not! God does what he sees fit. But this passage also shows his amazing mercy and that, with repentance, he often relents and withholds his justifiable wrath. 

He truly is the potter and we are the clay. And the fact is, being molded hurts sometimes. How often do we flop into a lump and God starts over with us? While it’s a hit to our pride, it’s important to remember that God is far more concerned with molding our character than he is with us being comfortable. As Americans, we have become extremely comfortable. Complacent. Entitled, even. It’s easy to forget who is in charge (hint: it’s not us)! When we realize that there is a great and mighty potter, who seeks to mold us more and more into the image of his perfect son, Jesus, we can surrender. As we do, we reflect the image of God and point others to him! 

Lord, I pray that you would break down all pride in each of us. Take away whatever keeps us from reflecting you and being the masterpiece you desire us to be, for your glory! Thank you for your patience, kindness, and mercy. You never smash us down into a lump and leave us that way, rather, you continue to mold us, shape us, and refine us. May we be willing participants in the process, Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.