But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand (Isaiah 64:8 NKJV).
Yesterday at church we had a husband-and-wife ministry team give us a demonstration of how to mold clay into something beautiful and useful like a jar or pot or bowl. The husband was the potter, the wife sang and they both preached. Their stories and testimonies were awesome and quite moving. Several cool things stood out to me:
You can be a Christian but refuse to get on the potter’s wheel. You can be saved but because you invoke your God-given free will to do as you please, you never allow God to mold you and change you.
The potter’s wheel is made of stone. It is a rock. In the Bible, Jesus is referred to as a rock, and unless you build your life upon Him, your life is in vain. So, jump on the Rock!
In order to soften the hard clay, the potter must pour water on it. Not once but over and over again all through the process. In the Bible, God’s Word and Spirit are referred to as living water. In other words, you can be on the Rock, but if you’re not reading the Word of God daily and immersing yourself in His Spirit, you’ll remain hard and unyielding.
As the potter began to work, he leaned into the pot. He embraced it with his whole body. He sprayed water on his arms and neck and coat and then wrapped himself around the piece of clay he was forming, getting wet and dirty in the process. It was such a perfect picture of God’s love for us, it brought tears to my eyes. Whatever you’re going through—whatever struggles He’s allowing in your life to mold you, He’s right there with you. He’s embracing you. He’s holding you up, and He’s getting dirty right along with you!
After the potter formed the shape he desired, he began to dig out all the rotten clay that was in the center of the pot. He had to dig way down deep into the pot and drag out all the junk that shouldn’t be there. That’s our rotten, filthy hearts. God has to dig deep down and get out all the sin, all the weakness, all the old clay from the old man in order for us to be useful. Can anyone use a pot that doesn’t have a clean, open inside?
When he was all done, a beautiful, sparkling vase appeared that looked nothing like the original lump of clay. Now, the vessel can be used by the potter for great things!
God has a great plan for each one of us. Whether we ever fulfill that plan is completely up to us. We have to surrender. We have to hop onto the potter’s wheel. We have to allow God to change us, mold us and get all the junk out of us. It’s painful. It’s time consuming, and there will be moments you’ll want to scream and quit. But in the end, wouldn’t you rather fulfill your destiny and be used by God Almighty to do great things for His Kingdom? Or would you rather He set your half-finished, bulky lump of clay back on the shelf?
MaryLu Tyndall