Text- Jeremiah 18:6- “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel”
One of the illustrations used to depict the relationship between God and His people in the Bible is that of the Potter and the clay. God says unequivocally, through Jeremiah the Prophet, “As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand”
Earlier in the passage where our text is taken from, God took Jeremiah to the potter’s house. There, he notices the potter working on clay. Verse 4 tells us that clay was damaged in the hand of the potter, so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make it.
The question is, are you surrendered enough to God? Are you so yielded to God that He can make you into a ‘vessel’ as it seems good to Him? Are you allowing God to work on you? Have you submitted to divine process?
I like the part where verse 4 says that the clay was marred (damaged) in the hand of the potter. The clay first had to be broken before it could be rightly formed.
This implies that one of the first things that God will do when you submit to Him and surrender to His will, is that He will first have you deconstruct what you have become by yourself. Then and only then, can he begin to form and fashion you for His glory.
Paul understood this quite well, when he said in his famous quotation, “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has reasons to trust in the flesh, I more… but what things were gain to me, those I count loss for Christ” (Philippians 3: 4,7)
Paul did not come to do ministry on the construct of having been Pharisee, or with the pride of being a member of the Sanhedrin. He humbled himself when he had an encounter with the Lord, and asked “Lord, what will you have me to do?” (Acts 9:6)
Dearly beloved, I want to encourage you today to allow God to mould and shape you as it seems good to Him; I want to admonish you to submit to divine process, and allow God to form and fashion you for His glory.
Forget about all your professional qualifications and academic credentials; lay aside all the awards and honors you have won; don’t hold too tightly to your pedigree and nobility; don’t be consumed with your ambition and desires. Surrender fully to God, and let Him make you into a vessel as it seems good to Him.
As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in God’s hands, beloved.
PRAYER
Lord, I surrender totally to your will today. I yield myself to you as clay in the potter’s hand. Please, make me into a ‘vessel’ as it seems good to you. Father, I submit myself to divine process; work on me, and let me be formed and fashioned for your glory in Jesus Name.
Image Credit: jacobsfountain.com