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).

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Think About It

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philipp. 4:8)

Have you ever been hurt by someone so deeply that the only thing you could do was think about what they did and how angry you feel? Have you ever been so worried about a situation that you couldn’t focus on anything else? If you have ever let yourself get caught up in that endless loop, you probably didn’t realize that you can make a choice to think about something else. Don’t set yourself up for worry, anger and frustration when the Bible says you should think about things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report.

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God’s Blueprint

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29: 11-13)

When a house is being built, the contractors and workers follow a blueprint — detailed written specifications that indicate exactly where to erect walls, install plumbing fixtures, install wiring for electrical connections, etc. Without that master plan or blueprint the house could not be properly constructed and would, therefore, not be approved for occupancy or use.

Before the foundation of the world, God developed a plan for your life in Christ. Sadly, many have not taken time to seek God’s plan but are building a house on their own terms according to a seriously flawed “sketch”, not even a blueprint.

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Praying God’s Word

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5: 16)

There is no substitute for fervent prayer. Rather than worry and wring your hands about a challenging situation in your life, you can pray about it. Sometimes prayer is viewed as a last resort, something you do after everything else has failed. That’s not the correct Bible perspective.

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Go To The Rock

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou has been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. (Psalm 61:2,3)

If you feel overwhelmed — like things are caving in on you – then go to the spiritual position that is above your problems. That spiritual position is what the psalmist referred to as the rock. When you are flying in an airplane, houses, trees and even tall skyscrapers look tiny when you look down on them from the airplane. Those same objects don’t look small when you are standing at street level, however. The same holds true for your problems. When you look at things from an earthly, rather than divine perspective, you feel like there’s no hope. But if you build your faith by hearing the Word of God, studying the Word and meditating on the Word, then you will have a different, victorious perspective regarding your problems or circumstances.

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Hunger Pains

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:41,42)

At the top of your priority list each day should be spending time with God — reading His Word, praying and listening. Mary understood the importance of that but Martha liked being busy. In today’s society, Martha might be considered a “Type A” hard-driving personality who always has something going on. But let’s get practical. Every car owner knows that if you drive your car around without refilling the gas tank , sooner or later you’ll end up stranded somewhere when the car runs out of gas. We tend to treat our inner being – our spirit – as if it does not need to be fed. However, Jesus stated that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)

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