THE POTTER AND THE CLAY

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

The Potter’s House offers a message of Hope, Grace, and Mercy (Jer.18:1-6). It is a reassuring reminder to God’s children, that no matter how terribly we have messed up in life, no matter how many blunders we have committed, no matter how miserably we have failed, God does not cast away His people! Instead, He takes us, “broken pieces and all,” remoulds, reshapes, and processes us into a new creation. We, like the Prophet Jeremiah, need to be reminded of this wonderful truth.

Jeremiah prophesied in a time when Israel had become divided, and his prophetic ministry focused on the southern kingdom of Judah, which at that time had a series of wicked Kings who led the people down a path of idolatry and wickedness. Despite Jeremiah’s pleas for repentance, Judah continued to drift farther away from Jehovah and closer to her destruction. Her sinful rebellion absolutely broke the “weeping prophet’s” heart, similar to how Christ “wept over the city of Jerusalem” because of her rejection of God's salvation (Mt.23:37). Knowing that Jeremiah needed some reassurance that his prophetic ministry had not been in vain, God took him on a ‘field trip’ to the Potter’s House.

On arrival, he first had to quietly observe the Potter at work as he took the lump of clay, twisted, kneaded, and pounded it until all the bubbles and impurities were out, and it became soft and pliable. As the potter threw the lump on the wheel, and turned the wheel with the treadle, he would caress the clay with his skilled fingers, smooth it out, and start shaping the clay into a useful and beautiful piece. Perhaps having picked up some impurities like sand or grit, the clay became “marred.” Yet, Jeremiah couldn't see what the potter saw. Instead of throwing the “marred” clay away, the Potter began to remould and reshape it into a new vessel that would be pleasing to him.

After watching the Potter at work for a while, God broke His silence with a crystal-clear message: He, our heavenly Father is the Potter; all of us His creatures are the clay; while the Potter’s wheel represents our earthly lives and circumstances. There are at least three key lessons to learn as we continue in these meditations:

1. The Principle: God, the Potter, is in Control.
2. The Purpose: God desires to make us vessels of honour.
3. The Process: God will use His “wheels” to mould us into vessels of honour.

Beloved, be rest assured that God has your good at heart. He isn’t finished with you yet. Your life is His project. You are His “work in progress” and you can never become an abandoned project. You will become a finished Masterpiece for His Glory!