Being Shaped by the Potter

Jeremiah 18: This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” ³ So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. ⁴ But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me. ⁶ He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel

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After zipping down the road I came to my exit ramp. As I stepped on the brakes I noticed the car was not slowing down as fast as I wanted it to. Wham! I hit the car in front of me. On another occasion I was driving down the road in the same car and hit a patch of ice. I slammed on the brakes and they did not slow the car down as fast as I wanted it to. Wham! I hit a pole.

• Life has some bumps and bruises that sometimes leaves me beat up..
• Life has some times when I ask “Why me?”
• Life has some situations that I do not like going through.

After a while I had to realize that I needed to slow down earlier so I would not run into another car. My immature driving had immature expectations, same with life. Sometimes I expect GOD to make everything absolutely perfect from my perspective and I expect HIM to do it in an instant. I mean HE is GOD isn’t HE? Can’t HE just snap HIS finger or say a word and all my problems go away? Yes, but…

• GOD takes me through situations to grow me.
• GOD takes me through circumstances to show me another area of my life that I need HIM.
• GOD takes me through problems to shape me into what HE wants me to be.

While I do not like going through trials, I thank GOD for them as James did in his letter. Trials are more memorable than bland instructor led lessons. I can remember the cut on my finger as I tested throwing bricks. The stitches cured me from brick throwing. GOD uses difficult times as well as great times to shape me.

HE fills me with HIS compassion when I see someone in need because I have been in need. HE helps me with the right words of comfort because I have been in need of comfort. GOD has the right to take things from me and give me plenty. GOD is my potter and I allow HIM to shape me as HE pleases.

• Are you fighting GOD?
• Do you have a difficult time believing in HIS way?
• Can you stop fighting placing your trust in HIM and let HIM grow you?
• Will you get up from your circumstance and let GOD grow your strength?

Striving for Perfection Could Mess Up the Plan

Job 9: ⁴ The Spirit of God has made me;
    the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
⁵ Answer me then, if you can;
    stand up and argue your case before me.
⁶ I am the same as you in God’s sight;
    I too am a piece of clay.

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A misplaced semicolon took me hours to find when debugging my code. This one tiny problem kept my program from being perfect. After more and more practice I found that I could be perfect in my coding in fewer tries. This spread to other areas of my life. I found that I could be perfect in job performance, financial management and carpentry.

I expected others to be perfect around me. I mean, I was perfect, right? Wrong!

• My first mistake of many was thinking I could be perfect.
• My second mistake of many was using my own measure of perfection to deem myself perfect.
• My third mistake of many thinking I had arrived in that perfection.

Confidence in myself could lead me to a place that is self-centered. My confidence, if leveraged the wrong way, could lead to arrogance then pride. Where should I put my confidence?

• GOD says to me “Place your trust in ME and you will not fail.”
• GOD says to me “I AM the way the truth and the life.”
• GOD says to me “I have a plan to prosper you.”

Just yesterday, GOD spoke through one of HIS servants in a sermon on a topic similar to this one. The illustration was the process of making pottery which takes a mound of clay and turns it into a work or art. The clay cannot tell the potter what it wants to be, rather it trusts that the potter is skilled enough to mold it into something beautiful.

Imperfections are smoothed out as the clay is “centered” and “turned” on the wheel. Heat is applied at the right time. GOD’s perfection for me is far better than my efforts to become perfect. HE allows me to be messy and continues to mold my life. Clay is moldable, rock is not. GOD also pursues rocky hearts but HE chisels instead of molds. This is more painful. I’d rather be molded.

• Are you resisting GOD?
• Are you allowing HIM to mold you into what HE wants you to be?
• Can you accept what is going on in your life as “Good for GOD’s purpose?”
• Will you allow your heart to be clay or stone?