The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words." Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the LORD came to me saying: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the LORD. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!" ~ Jeremiah 18:1-6
Have you ever worked with clay, in school maybe or in your free time? I used to love working with clay! Starting out with an idea then going to the 'slop' bucket and grabbing hand fulls of watery clay mixture to slap onto the table to be kneeded or wedged. You definitely can't skip the 'kneeding' process or your final project will explode into tons of pieces when it is fired in the kiln or turn out with lumps. To kneed your clay, in other words to make the clay workable and malleable, you must apply pressure and force with your palms repeatedly. This is a tiring process for the potter because their arms, back and hands grow weary. The next step, in working with clay, is more one of my favorite parts, 'throwing'. The clay must be thrown onto the wheel in the center to make sure it sticks. Once on the wheel the potter applies various degrees of pressure to form a cylindrical shape. This basic shape is then molded into whatever the potter desires. In order to make sure the process goes smoothly the potter must continually apply moisture to their hands and the clay. If the clay dries out and begins to crack, often times the potter is able to save the clay by applying water but other times the crack is so deep and long that the potter does not want to diminish the structure or concept of the piece so the potter must start the process all over, beginning at the slop bucket. Once the piece is complete it is cut off of the wheel fired in the kiln which sets it. After they are set the potter can then, using various glazes, create the outward appearance of his masterpiece that others will see, then the piece is fired one last time in the kiln.
This process is a very rewarding one for the Potter but we, as Christians, are not called to be potters, we are called to be the clay. Beginning in a slop bucket full of other pieces of clay and trimmings from old projects. The Potter reaches down His hands and collects us from the filth and muck that surrounds us. We feel it is an honor just to be selected amongst our surroundings. Little do we know that our journey on our way to becoming the Potter's masterpiece is a long and painful one. Next we are kneeded and wedged. The pressure is applied; pressures that we never expected. Pressures from those around us to do things that we don't want to do because now we see that they are wrong, pressures to act certain ways, pressure to communicate in specific ways, etc. But through this process the Potter is working all of the lumps and imperfections out of us. This process may go on for years but when the Potter thinks it is time, when we are malleable enough, He takes us off of the kneeding table and throws us on the wheel. Now He is able to shape us into our basic form, the form He will use to begin to sculpt, cut, peal, and smooth away at us. This process for us, as the clay, is so very uncomfortable. Not only are we, in our minds, spinning around in endless circles but we are also having bits of us, bits we thought we needed, taken away. When we fight back because we feel we kneed those pieces we begin to tear ourselves. Sometimes we create such large tears the the Potter has no choice but to begin the process all over again. But when He finally creates the framework of His idea and realizes that it is good, He will cut us off of that spinning wheel and place us in the fire of the kiln. This fire, to us, feels like endless tests and trials, but through those fires the Potter is solidifying His creation into something that will be great. Once out of the fire, the Potter begins to adorn us with colors and design, the things that catch other's eyes. Then it is back into the fires for one last cycle of flames that cement us into His masterpieces. The Potter could not have started with the glaze (outward appearance) of us because the inside would be a mess. Therefore He must always work from the inside out. When the Potter has completely finished He puts the piece He created to use, the use He had in mind even before He reached into that slop bucket.
As Christians, we are designed and crafted for a purpose. Only God, our potter, knows what that purpose is. Along the way it may be painful and uncomfortable but in the end He creates a masterpiece that others want. Others will see the beauty and purpose that we have been gifted and want the same. An artist always leaves his/her mark on each piece they do, this shows that they have pride and ownership in their work. God had etched His seal into you, will you live up to the purpose He created you to for?
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. ~ Ephesians 2:10
Have you ever worked with clay, in school maybe or in your free time? I used to love working with clay! Starting out with an idea then going to the 'slop' bucket and grabbing hand fulls of watery clay mixture to slap onto the table to be kneeded or wedged. You definitely can't skip the 'kneeding' process or your final project will explode into tons of pieces when it is fired in the kiln or turn out with lumps. To kneed your clay, in other words to make the clay workable and malleable, you must apply pressure and force with your palms repeatedly. This is a tiring process for the potter because their arms, back and hands grow weary. The next step, in working with clay, is more one of my favorite parts, 'throwing'. The clay must be thrown onto the wheel in the center to make sure it sticks. Once on the wheel the potter applies various degrees of pressure to form a cylindrical shape. This basic shape is then molded into whatever the potter desires. In order to make sure the process goes smoothly the potter must continually apply moisture to their hands and the clay. If the clay dries out and begins to crack, often times the potter is able to save the clay by applying water but other times the crack is so deep and long that the potter does not want to diminish the structure or concept of the piece so the potter must start the process all over, beginning at the slop bucket. Once the piece is complete it is cut off of the wheel fired in the kiln which sets it. After they are set the potter can then, using various glazes, create the outward appearance of his masterpiece that others will see, then the piece is fired one last time in the kiln.
This process is a very rewarding one for the Potter but we, as Christians, are not called to be potters, we are called to be the clay. Beginning in a slop bucket full of other pieces of clay and trimmings from old projects. The Potter reaches down His hands and collects us from the filth and muck that surrounds us. We feel it is an honor just to be selected amongst our surroundings. Little do we know that our journey on our way to becoming the Potter's masterpiece is a long and painful one. Next we are kneeded and wedged. The pressure is applied; pressures that we never expected. Pressures from those around us to do things that we don't want to do because now we see that they are wrong, pressures to act certain ways, pressure to communicate in specific ways, etc. But through this process the Potter is working all of the lumps and imperfections out of us. This process may go on for years but when the Potter thinks it is time, when we are malleable enough, He takes us off of the kneeding table and throws us on the wheel. Now He is able to shape us into our basic form, the form He will use to begin to sculpt, cut, peal, and smooth away at us. This process for us, as the clay, is so very uncomfortable. Not only are we, in our minds, spinning around in endless circles but we are also having bits of us, bits we thought we needed, taken away. When we fight back because we feel we kneed those pieces we begin to tear ourselves. Sometimes we create such large tears the the Potter has no choice but to begin the process all over again. But when He finally creates the framework of His idea and realizes that it is good, He will cut us off of that spinning wheel and place us in the fire of the kiln. This fire, to us, feels like endless tests and trials, but through those fires the Potter is solidifying His creation into something that will be great. Once out of the fire, the Potter begins to adorn us with colors and design, the things that catch other's eyes. Then it is back into the fires for one last cycle of flames that cement us into His masterpieces. The Potter could not have started with the glaze (outward appearance) of us because the inside would be a mess. Therefore He must always work from the inside out. When the Potter has completely finished He puts the piece He created to use, the use He had in mind even before He reached into that slop bucket. 
As Christians, we are designed and crafted for a purpose. Only God, our potter, knows what that purpose is. Along the way it may be painful and uncomfortable but in the end He creates a masterpiece that others want. Others will see the beauty and purpose that we have been gifted and want the same. An artist always leaves his/her mark on each piece they do, this shows that they have pride and ownership in their work. God had etched His seal into you, will you live up to the purpose He created you to for?
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