The Potter & the Clay

Imagine visiting the workplace of the ancient potter. Observe as he molds the clay at his wheel. Now notice that the vessel that he made of clay became marred in his hands; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to him to make. See Jeremiah 18:1-4.

You and I often try to mold our own lives as we see fit. It doesn’t take us long to realize that we are dealing with imperfect clay. Then when we are placed in the “furnace” of life with all of its trials and challenges, we “can’t take the heat” and we find that many of our hopes and plans are broken.

The message of Scripture is that only when we allow the Lord -- the Potter -- to mold us and make us will our lives ever become what they were intended. In fact, molding and making our lives according to our own will is the essence of what the Bible calls "sin." Sin only mars our lives, and leads to ruin.

The Scriptures also inform us that each of us has been marred by sin (Romans 3:23) -- even to the point of breaking – but even now, it is not too late. The Lord, as one songwriter has well written, who uses broken clouds to give us rain and who gives us bread from broken grain, can take our broken lives and make them whole again. If we will surrender our lives in complete submission to the Divine Potter, He can mold us into a beautiful creation. God’s goal is to conform our lives into the very image of His Son (Romans 8:29).

Are you tired of trying to mold your own life? Do you realize the havoc that sin wreaks in our lives? Are you weary from broken – perhaps even misguided dreams? Are you ready for a fresh start?

In the words of T.O. Chisholm:

Bring Christ your broken life, So marred by sin,
He will create anew, Make whole again.
Your empty, wasted years He will restore,
And your iniquities Remember no more.

If you will only submit your life to the hands of the Potter, He will forgive you of your broken past and mold your life for a glorious future. Place your faith and trust in Him (Hebrews 11:6), repent of trying to do your own will instead of His (Acts 17:30), and be baptized into Christ so your past mistakes can be forgiven (Acts 2:38). Then continue to submit the rest of your life to the One who knows what’s best for you.

His power can make you what you ought to be; His blood can cleanse your heart and make you free; His love can fill your soul, and you will see, ‘Twas best for Him to have His way with thee.”

-- Cyrus S. Nusbaum --

Will you submit to the loving hands of the true Potter?



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