O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter, and we all are the work of Your hand.
Isaiah 64:8 AMP
I was listening to the live service online from The Potter's House (www.tdjakes.org - Dallas) this weekend and the message (delivered by one of the associate pastors, Sheryl Brady) brought such clarity. I've found that over the past few months, God has been guiding me - giving me direction and ordering my steps - through messages, books and personal experiences. And I'm so grateful for the lessons although I am just now starting to understand why it has been "hurting' so much. I've heard pastor's refer to God as a potter but I've never understood His purpose and my purpose the way Pastor Brady laid it all out in her message.
And it got me thinking... in grade school we had a 'clay day' where we had the opportunity to make a plate, bowl or cup out of clay. I remember rolling, pounding and kneading this clump of clay to loosen it in attempt to manipulate and mold it in the masterpiece I was envisioning and eventually, it started to take shape. I decided to make a bowl and after forming it to perfection, it was put into the kiln to bake. I remember being amazed when our teacher told us that the kiln needs to be heated to over 2000 degrees and our clay formations would have to bake for about 18 hours. I remember thinking "how can it take that kind of heat?" Then she explained that the baking and subsequent cooling was necessary for the clay to maintain its permanent form. In my case, as a bowl.
Next, I was given the opportunity to paint and add decorative designs to my bowl. Some of my classmates chose to leave theirs plain but I saw an example of what the finished product could look like, with paint and decorative designs, and that's what I wanted. So I painted with the anticipation that my bowl was going to look great. I envisioned it and now I was anxious to see the finished product. I don't know how many of you have seen a vase or bowl made out of clay, painted, after it is removed from the kiln but the finish is beautiful.
Looking back at that experience now, I have to laugh because I loved that bowl.. I think I may even have given it to my dad for Father's Day. And there really wasn't anything particularly special or outstanding about the bowl except for the fact that I made it, I invested time and energy into it, it was my masterpiece and I loved it.
And that's how God sees us. We are His clay. He sees our potential and beauty even when we look and feel like a clump of clay. He kneads us and works with us until we reflect His Image... what He envisions us to be. Even as we are going through our different stages of rolling, pounding and baking, He knew us (Jeremiah 1:5 NIV). He could see our Greatness, even when we didn't see it ourselves, because He made us.
So, if you are going through a time in your life that feels rough, like nothing is going to change, it's hard to the positive and it feels like you're going in circles... just think of yourself as clay and God as your potter. He's working on you, pounding you and rolling you. He's beating out the lumps and kneading you to perfection. He's adding heat to keep you steadfast. And finally, He will add paint to adorn you. Clay can't make itself a plate or a vase so stop resisting and submit to Him, your Potter. Only the Potter's touch can turn a clump into a masterpiece. Let Him mold you. Let Him use you.
Be Blessed in BEING GOD'S MASTERPIECE.
2Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words. 3Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was working at the wheel. 4And the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he made it over, reworking it into another vessel as it seemed good to the potter to make it. - Jeremiah 18:2-4 AMP
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." - Jeremiah 1:5 NIV
