THE POTTER’S HAND

Who among all these does not know that the HAND of the LORD has done this – Job 12: 9

Without the potter’s hand, the lump of clay remains just that – a lump! There is something unique about the Hand of our eternal Potter. He is far more skilful than any human potter. He can mould a life that is as common and cheap as clay into an amazing, striking and worthy vase. Everything about what the lump of clay turns out to be is about the potter’s hand! And the creative possibilities for a lump of clay are almost endless to a skilled potter. Moreover, the impressions of the potter’s hand could remain imprinted on the vessel even after several centuries.

Centring the clay on the wheel is a critical step in the pottery process.  The purpose is to shape and compress the clay into a symmetrical mass perfectly centred in the middle of the wheel. This involves the potter’s full concentration and requires the weight of the potter’s arm muscles. If not properly centred, the lump of clay can fly out as the wheel launches into action. After properly centring the lump of clay, the potter must maintain a firm and steady upward movement by locking his hands together; the hands thus form a lifting tool as he moves and thins the clay. The potter can produce variety of handmade functional ware on the wheels, and even though the wheel aids in establishing symmetry and precision, every piece produced is unique. All pottery creations are indeed individual creations.

God designed each of us in a specific way to accomplish His unique purposes and to further His kingdom. Just as the potter’s hands lift the lump of clay while it spins on the centre of the wheel, God places His hand on you to lift you from hopeless situations and experiences in your life. The key is to choose to remain in the centre of His Will – in the hub of His “wheel”? He is the Master Designer with a master plan. However, in the process of transforming you into a vessel meet for the Master’s use, you may encounter painful pressures and difficult trials. In order that the forming be done right the pressure of the Master’s hands is always required. Along the way, you’ll soon learn that while this forming process isn’t always comfortable or easy, it is indispensable if you are to become what the Lord designed and desires us to be.

Think about this: It is when the wheel is rotating that the potter actually forms the clay into a beautiful masterpiece. If the clay could talk, it might say that it didn’t like the spinning feeling because of how fast it turned and the uncomfortable pressure from the potter’s hands. But if this process didn’t happen, the clay would remain an unformed lump, and the potter’s purpose for it never would be fulfilled. Anyone who has Christ as Master is the master of every circumstance. Are your circumstances pressing in on you? Do not push away, for beneath are the Potter’s hands; and you will learn to master them not by stopping their progress but by enduring the discipline. God is not only using your circumstances to shape you into a vessel of beauty and honour, He is also through these, providing you with resources of eternal value.