Carel Neuhoff
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
A pot starts life as a formless chunk of brown clay. First the clay is firmly attached to the very center of the turntable. As the potter’s wheel goes round and round, the hands of the potter smooths and shapes the outside surface of the clay. This involves squashing and flattening, squeezing and molding. Next the thumbs of the potter make a hole in the center of the smoothed out lump, and slowly a well forms. Bit by bit the walls of the pot grow. Then the potter carefully evens out the thickness of the walls. The taller the walls get, the slower the potter spins the wheel, the walls becoming more and more fragile and prone to breaking. Eventually the pot is finished, specially created by a master craftsman to be a priceless work of art or a functional vessel to daily carry water.
God works in each of our lives just like the potter works the clay, slowly and carefully, ironing out our individual foibles and weaknesses. He helps us to grow, ready to work for Him in the way He has planned. Jeremiah was prophesying at the time of the end of the kingdom of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar was about to raze Jerusalem and destroy its temple. This could have been averted if the Children of Israel had listened to her prophets and turned back to God, but they would not.
We need to look at ourselves and where we stand today. The Lord’s second coming is at hand. Where do we stand in regards to our words and actions to people around us? What is our relationship like with our family and friends, neighbors and children? No matter what shape we are in now, God can continued to shape him into His likeness so that we can be ready for His return.
“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
Isaiah 1:18