Yet you, Lord, are our father. We are the clay; you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Isaiah 64:8
It looked easy watching the potter, and I wanted to pay particular attention to what he was doing for I knew I was next to have a go. Being a complete beginner, I wanted things to go reasonably well. The potter took a large handful of clay, slapped it onto the wheel quite heavily for some reason and we were in business! He started the wheel, wet his hands some more and began to work the clay to make his pot. As he worked the clay, we could see a masterpiece of a pot emerging from the wheel, it was amazing to see this. You could tell this chap was an expert at his craft.
After watching all of this, my confidence was growing and I was looking forward to making a simple vessel. Apron on, I got seated took a handful of clay, placed it on the wheel and was ready for action. Mind you the wheel was going faster than I would have liked, but with more water I could pull the clay to into a shape to form my masterpiece just like the potter. It must have been the wrong clay I used, for all of a sudden, the whole item collapsed and almost ended on the floor. My masterpiece turned out a disaster piece. Thank goodness for the intervention of the potter, but instead of giving me a new piece of clay, he said to use the clay I already had and begin again from scratch.
We all have skills that God has given us, but the talents and skills we have are not of our own choosing. Truth is, we are nothing more than moulded clay and the shape we take on is determined by the Master’s hand. In life I’ve discovered that we can be the best evangelical Christians in the world, the most generous, the most influential, but in being so, we must allow God to mould us to fit His plans and serve His needs.
Jeremiah knew that more than anybody as he stood watching the potter at work (Jeremiah 18: 1-6). He noticed something important as he watched. God had put in his mind and was intended to impact him greatly. The potter was shaping a vessel with his hands when it all collapsed on him. The shape did not take in the clay, it was literally ruined. But the potter did not throw the ruined piece away, instead he continued working with it and reshaped it into another vessel which he deemed good to make. In other words, he began again, from scratch with the same clay and gave it a shape that was good and would hold its form.
I think there is a lesson here for us especially when things aren’t going too well.
Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
God bless you in your day.
Tom Bonnar
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