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. Jeremiah 18:6
It is fascinating to see how a person can take a lump of clay and turn it into a work of art. The level of skill and patience required for such work is impressive. When I tried to make pottery in high school, it was a colossal failure. I simply do not have the aptitude to work on a potter’s wheel.
Almighty God is the ultimate potter. In Genesis 1, we read that God took clay and shaped it into human beings. His creation was so masterful that the Psalmist says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful” (Psalm 1329:14). Indeed, the grandeur of creation speaks to the ingenuity of God. Whereas human beings are prone to take credit for the things that exist, God is the grand designer and inventor of all things. He is the giver of gifts and talents with which we make inventions.
In today’s text, the Lord told Jeremiah to tell the Israelites that they are as clay in His hand. The Lord wanted the Israelites to know that he can mold and shape them according to His will. Because of the disobedience of the Israelites, God had the power to break down or to build them. Unfortunately, the Israelites did not listen as they persisted in their disobedience.
Although we were created in the image of God, the sin of Adam and Eve marred our relationship with God and spoiled our original creational design. Therefore, God has had to put humanity back on his potter’s wheel to reshape us into the being he created us to be. This process, however, will not be complete until we transition to glory. In the meantime, the Spirit of the Lord is working in those whose hearts are inclined to the will of God to transform us into God’s workmanship created through Christ Jesus for good works.
For those who want to live to the glory of God, the potter’s wheel is where we want to be. As we continue to wrestle with our sinful flesh, we need God to work in us and shape us as seem best to Him. It is at the potter’s wheel that God turned sinners into saints. The potter’s wheel is a place of surrender. All of our imperfections are exposed at the potter’s wheel, and our brokenness is mended.
The potter’s wheel is also a place of divine favor. It is the secret place of the Most High—the shadow of the Almighty. At the potter’s wheel, God turns our messes into ministry. The dross of sin can only be removed from the human soul at the potter’s wheel. The longer we stay on the potter’s wheel, the stronger our testimony becomes. We can be set free from the sins that so easily beset us at the potter’s wheel.
The Lord is inviting us to come to his potter’s wheel and bring our addictions, our greed, lust, envy, jealousy, bitterness, and brokenness so he can give us rest and a new identity. We do not need to struggle with these sins alone. Our Father wants to put us back together again. He wants to give us fresh fire, fresh anointing, renewed zeal and fervor for holiness, a new heart filled with love and compassion for others, and a godly disposition to do the great commission work. The potter’s wheel is open to anyone at any time. As for me, I don’t ever want to come off the potter’s wheel. I want God to continue His perfecting work in my life until I transition to glory.
Questions For discussion?
What do you need God to remove from you at his potter’s wheel? What spiritual shape do you want to have as the Lord works in you at his potter’s wheel?
Prayer- Thank you for being the potter who is shaping us into your image at your potter’s wheel. Please increase our faith and trust in you as you mold us into the image of your Son.