As Clay... In the Potter's Hand

As Clay... In the Potter's Hand   Isaiah 64:8

Patricia Ann

Isaiah 64:8 

But now, Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay and you are our potter.  All of us are the work of your hand. 

Have you ever seen a potter's wheel?  As a potter's wheel spins, it can turn slow or fast depending on the potter and the vessel being formed. 

Scripture tells us that we are all formed in the image of our Father in Heaven. Right?

Why then, would we need to become clay in the Potter's hands?

The answer is really quite simple.  Life. 

Life throws things at us that we don't understand.  Life sometimes wreaks havoc on our mind, body, spirit and soul.  It isn't because we want life to be this way. Sometimes, circumstances are beyond our control or we just aren't prepared for the storm that comes, an illness, a divorce, loss of a loved one or a financial crisis. There are so many possibilities of things that can happen in our daily life and it just isn't all smooth sailing for most of us on a daily basis.  

Sometimes we find ourselves a broken mess, not knowing what to do with ourselves ,who to turn to for help or where to go next.  There seems to be no place  in this world for comfort and consolation. 

And this is just the precise time when we find ourselves on God's potter's wheel.  He has picked us up and is re-shaping us into more of His likeness than we ever knew before.  He doesn't even need to pick up those broken pieces and glue us back together.  God is the Potter and the clay that we need to be renewed.  Straight from His heart through His hands, He picks us up and places us on His wheel and begins to make us new again.  He is making a new you, a new me.  

I will say from my own experience that being renewed is not always an easy ride.  Sometimes that potter's wheel spins really fast and gets really messy.  Bust we can rest assured that our Father in Heaven, the Master potter, will continue with His hand on us until we are a complete, new, beautiful vessel good enough  and refined enough  for His own use.  

Just think how awesome that is!

You see, there was a time when I thought I was okay.  I thought I knew plenty and loved well and that I could and would do whatever God asked of me.   I was completely willing, wasn't I?  Well, maybe not.  

I did seriously tell God that I would go anywhere he asked and do whatever He wanted and I meant it from the deepest part of my heart, but I had no idea just how BIG God's plans could be!

You see, God's plans are BIGGER than we can see.  Much BIGGER!

And God's plans are Bigger than most people are willing to truly accept.  His plan sometimes just seems too hard.

As humans who live in this world, we all to often like to take the easy way out.  

We stand and declare, "God is good all the time.  All the time, Good is good!"

And God is good all the time.  That's why He picks us up and places us on His potter's wheel.  He wants us to be the best we can be, renewed and transformed into a working vessel for His very own glory. 

Sometimes, when we are on the potter's wheel as clay in His hands, we often just want to jump off and go hide somewhere quiet and undisturbed.  

God will let us off the wheel at any time because He allows us to make our own choices, but when we jump off that wheel and away from God's guiding hands, we stop the process.  We are no longer subject to His shaping and molding.  Our rough edges remain and our broken pieces remain missing and in a state of disrepair. We continue on in a state of self induced,  unrefined and ill repaired misery.  

Because of our own selfishness, we don't want to go through the painful process of renewal.  

And know also, that it doesn't always have to be painful to be renewed.  It can and does actually feel good to let go and let God take control of our broken mess and heal our wounds.  

Look at what happened to Jesus.  Jesus was born, lived and died for you and me.   For all sin sickness and disease, Jesus suffered to death so that we can live! He conquered the grave, so that we should live!

And live we can, but we must strive to know Jesus as our Savior.  In doing so, we must not buy into the lie that we are all sinners.  When we are saved, it should come into our heart in our renewed state to let go of sinful desires and actions and we begin to walk and talk, just as we know Jesus did.  However, we all too often don't. We get tempted, get angry, hurt, sick and disgusted and in that frustration, we forget about Jesus and all He has already done for us.  

We are broken and in need of the Potter's hand.  We are in need of the One who knows us best.  We are in need of the One who continues to call our hearts unto Himself, again and again.  Our Father in Heaven seeks to  hold us as clay in His hands, replacing the broken pieces, smoothing the rough edges and making us stronger than we were before.

As God, our Father, our Master Potter, loves each of us  in a BIG way, we can rest assured that He will continue with His hand on us until we are complete, a new and beautiful vessel, good enough and refined enough for His own use.  

It is my prayer for today that we become willing to yield to the Master's hand, as He lovingly picks us up and places us on His potter's wheel.

But now Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay and you are our potter.  All of us are the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8

Praise God from whom all blessings come!  May we receive His essence into our being, as we are reformed and renewed for His glory. 

Love and blessings to all in Jesus precious name. Amen