On the Potter’s Wheel

Then the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. (Jeremiah 18:5,6)

God is the potter ( or maker of pottery) and you are the clay. If you’re familiar with the process of shaping and finishing a pottery vase made on a potter’s wheel, you know that lump of clay “goes through a lot of changes” before it becomes a beautiful work of art. The potter starts out by kneading the clay (like you knead bread) to remove air bubbles; then he shapes the clay into a ball before placing in on the wheel. The clay is occasionally sprayed with water as the potter applies physical pressure with his hands to add shape and give height to the lump of clay as it is transformed into a vase. The newly formed vessel is taken off of the wheel, trimmed and then placed into a high temperature oven (kiln).

Next there is a final round of decorating, glazing and another session in the kiln to “bake in” the colors and design details. Notice that the clay endures both pressure and heat before it can be displayed as a finished vase. Looking at your own life, you can ask yourself whether you are really ready to have the Potter apply His hand to your life. Do you cringe and pull back when He touches you? Do you complain when you are going through a trial because it seems like a hot oven or fiery furnace? If we want to become more like Christ, then we have to stay on the potter’s wheel and be willing to endure both pressure and heat. No one enjoys being placed in challenging circumstances but you can choose to stay unmolded as a lump of clay or you can choose to become a vessel of God, divinely shaped by the Heavenly Father.

Pray the Word:
Father, in the name of Jesus, I submit myself to You this day, allowing You to mold me and shape into the image of Your Son Jesus Christ. Make me more sensitive to Your desires and commandments. Give me a heart of total obedience to Your Word, that I may be committed to both hearing and doing Your Word. Amen.

Scriptures:
Jeremiah 18:1-6
Romans 8:29
James 1:22