Jeremiah 18: 1-6 “The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 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.”
The analogy of the potter and the clay is one of my favorites in the Bible. It reminds me that not only is God a powerful, mighty Lord. But He is a gentle, loving Father who holds me in His hands.
Thy Will Be Done
Each year, there are millions of existential and philosophical questions Googled, including inquiries about life’s purpose, especially during times of global uncertainty or personal reflection. Being a christian we have the comfort and assurance of what our purpose in life is… to proclaim the name of the Lord and be a witness for Him. However, it is so common for christians to ask “what is the Lord’s will for my life?”.
I have struggled with this as well! There was a time in my college years when I had to make a decision that would greatly impact my life. I had two choices in what to do with my career. I went to the Lord multiple times looking for an answer to what His will was for my life and what career path I needed to take. Finally, I received such assurance from Him that laying the situation at His feet would only end in goodness- because He is a good God.
Psalm 100:5 “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations.”
God revealed to me what the true will of the Lord looks like and it is quite simple. The Lord’s prayer tells us. Matthew 6:10 “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”- this tells us that whatever the will of the Lord is in Heaven, is the same will He wants on earth… for His name to be praised and for Heaven to be full!
After God revealed this to me, I had much more clarity of how to pray for His will. No matter what the end result was, I knew that being in the palm of His hand would be exactly where I needed to be. Being the clay to the potter is being right in the palm of His hand everyday. When we surrender to that position and have total dependence on Him, we can have assurance that He will mold us and make us into what He wants us to be. I look back and think how different my life would be if I had made the other decision and not allow God to take control.
I will be honest, there are still times today that it is so hard for me to give control to the Lord. The need and desire for control in a situation to make sure everything is completed like I want it to be is something I struggle with. I am intrinsically motivated to get the job done independently because I know I can do it, and have it completed exactly how I have it pictured in my mind.
In that mindset, I am trying to be the potter instead of allowing Him to be.
You may struggle with this as well, especially in the next steps in life. It is scary and uncomfortable to not have an understanding, grip, or control on what will happen in your life. But God commands us to to stand still and let God move.
There are multiple verses in the Bible where God commands us to stand still and rest in His presence to allow His hand to take control in the situation.
Exodus 14:13-14
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
- This verse shows Moses telling the Israelites to trust in God’s deliverance, even when they felt trapped by the Red Sea. The Red Sea can be metaphorically used in our lives. We may not have a literal, physical Red Sea before us, but we have something that is keeping us from stepping out in faith. But, the potter knows the clay.
2 Chronicles 20:17
“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.”
- This verse is from the story of King Jehoshaphat, where God told the people not to fear and to let Him handle the battle. How comforting is this? God commanded His people that He would fight for them as He would be with them. Do you still believe in this same God? Then why would you not believe He would do the same for you today in your personal battle? The potter knows the clay.
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
- This well-known verse reminds us to be still and trust in God’s sovereignty and power. He knows our human ways of worry, but he comforts us with the promise of His exaltation. The potter knows the clay.
Psalm 37:7
“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”
- This verse encourages waiting patiently for the Lord and trusting Him instead of worrying. He wants us to stop striving in our own strength but only trust in God’s timing, and allow Him to move on our behalf. The potter knows the clay.
So in the moments of not knowing what to do next or in life, have faith and assurance that The Potter has His hand on you. Allow the Potter to hold you, the clay. He is molding and making you into what He needs you to be for His Kingdom.
The Fire, Shaping, and Kneading of the Clay
Another way I interpret the potter and clay passage is having faith that God knows us so well that He knows exactly how much shaping, fire, and kneading we need to be created into His image.
One thing I think many struggle with in life is understanding why God allows things to happen to them or those around them. I have heard and have asked myself many times “why would God allow bad things to happen to good people?”.
We are not called to understand, but obey. And, He never promised this life to be easy.
One of my favorite songs says it perfectly: “The power of faith is not the absence of pain. But believing that Jesus can change everything”.
He never promised we would not have pain in this world. But he did promise He has overcome the world. Still, it can be hard to understand His ways and works.
However, if we had the ability to completely understand His ways and works, why would we need God?
A good example of this that I heard once goes like this. “A father takes his young son to run some errands. They first stop off to pay the landlord for that month’s rent. Being the example he wants to set for his son, he pays for the rent of that month on time and in full even though he was able to provide that much money. After paying rent, they go to the grocery store. The father gets the basic necessities that they need and that he can afford. The son asks for a toy but the father has to tell him ‘no’. The boy is confused as he just saw his father give a lot of money to the landlord. The son asks him multiple times over and over why he has the money for rent but not the toy. Although the father explains multiple times, the boy is not understanding. He does not have the maturity and experiences to yet understand what his father is teaching him. One day he will, though, appreciate what his father did for him.”
Now, although the boy did not understand his father’s command, should he have disobeyed or not believed his father? No. Although it was so hard for him at that moment, and may be later as he sees other children with that toy, he knew his father’s authority and character which allowed him to obey him in a trusting manner.
The same principle applies to us Christians. We may not understand right now why the situation before us is happening, but God does. He is purposely molding His clay.
And can I say that I am so thankful He is God and I am me. If I were God, I would have done things so differently in my past that would have ruined my present life that I love. Each turn around the wheel confirms even more why He is the potter and I am the clay.
Each time God puts us through a storm of life, He is allowing us a specific and original experience that we can only experience with Him. No matter how much of a support system you have of others that may have gone through the same thing you are, no one will be able to comfort you like the Lord.
He provides a peace that passes understanding.
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.
He creates a way for you to reach Him like you have never before to allow you to truly learn dependency on Him. With each storm you go through, the Lord is strengthening your faith to make you more like Him!
The Bible says to count it all joy in temptations and storms. How is that possible?! Because we have a Father that is going through it with us. We can find joy in those situations because we are purposely isolated to find alone time with God.
James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”.
There are multiple examples in the Bible of ‘bad things’ happening to ‘good’ people, but they ultimately led to growth in faith and trust in God. Here are some of my favorite examples:
Joseph (Genesis 37-50)
- The Situation: Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused, and imprisoned.
- The Outcome: Despite these hardships, Joseph remained faithful to God. In time, he rose to a position of power in Egypt and saved his family and many others during a severe famine. Joseph later said to his brothers, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” (Genesis 50:20).
- Lesson: Joseph’s hardships ultimately strengthened his character and trust in God, and he saw how God used the bad for good. If he wouldn’t have gone through the storms and hard times of life, he would have never moved or been granted the position of power he was granted.
Job (Book of Job)
- The Situation: Job, a righteous man, lost his wealth, health, and family in a series of calamities allowed by God to test his faith.
- The Outcome: Though Job questioned and struggled with understanding his suffering, he remained faithful. In the end, God restored his fortunes, and Job’s faith was deepened through his trials (Job 42:12-17).
- Lesson: Job learned to trust God’s wisdom, even when he couldn’t understand the reasons behind his suffering. Gaining the wisdom and closer relationship with God outways the understanding of the why.
Daniel in the Lion’s Den (Daniel 6)
- The Situation: Daniel was thrown into a den of lions for continuing to pray to God in defiance of the king’s decree.
- The Outcome: God shut the mouths of the lions, sparing Daniel’s life. This miracle led King Darius to issue a decree praising the God of Daniel.
- Lesson: Daniel’s trust in God during a dangerous situation deepened his faith and glorified God to the surrounding nations. If he would not have went through the scary situation of being in the lion’s den, many would not have come to know God as their Savior.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3)
- The Situation: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue, even though the penalty for disobedience was death by being thrown into a fiery furnace.
- The Outcome: They were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace, but God miraculously protected them while joining them in the fire. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and they walked out of the fire unharmed. Nebuchadnezzar, witnessing their miraculous survival, acknowledged the power of their God and issued a decree honoring Him.
- Lesson: The faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in God’s power, even in the face of death, was unshakable. Their refusal to compromise led to a powerful display of God’s protection, and their trial became a testimony to God’s might and faithfulness. This not only strengthened their own faith but also influenced a pagan king to recognize the sovereignty of God.
So, even though all of these characters were doing things that were ‘good’ and even righteous to the Lord, He still allowed bad things to happen to them.
Why?
These situations are used for a greater purpose, shaping the characters’ faith, maturity, and trust in Him- just like a potter shapes the clay. In the moment of the storm it is so hard to see that He has a better plan all along. But we have to reflect on all the examples in the Bible and in our own life to confirm that He is a good Father with a better plan than we could ever have for ourselves.
How can we have faith in this? Because the potter knows the clay.
He knows exactly what we need to be shaped and molded to be fully reliant on Him.
While studying this passage, I looked up some common pottery terminology. While you read through the terms and definitions, read it from the perspective of us as christians as the clay and God as the potter.
Clay: The natural, earthy material that is malleable when wet and hardens when fired, used to create pottery.
- Let’s apply this to what we have learned so far about God as the potter and us as the clay. Through the difficulties of life, God makes us malleable so He can shape us. Our faith is stronger when in the fire. We are used to create what He has intended us to be.
Kiln: A high-temperature oven or furnace used to fire clay objects, transforming them into ceramic.
- The kiln can be lonely, but with fire and time, we can be created into His beautiful design.
Throwing: The process of shaping clay on a potter’s wheel.
- The Lord, like a potter, knows exactly how many times we need to go around the wheel to be shaped into what He desires.
Wedging: Kneading clay to remove air bubbles and ensure even moisture content before shaping.
- When it feels like God is physically kneading you (literally or metaphorically), it is for His shaping.
Lastly, know that through the hard times, He is chipping away the characteristics that do not look like Him. When Michelangelo finished the statue of David, he was asked how he did it. He replied simply “I started chipping away the parts that did not look like him”. God does the same to us when we are going through the fire. He is chipping away the parts of our human, sinful nature that do not look like Him. He is shaping and molding us to be more like Him.
My prayer is that we will trust the Lord’s process as we are on His pottery wheel. Knowing that if we are being ‘shaped’, ‘kneaded’, and ‘thrown’, we are in the palm of His hand. I also pray that we will allow ourselves to be the clay and Him the potter so He can mold us and make us into what He wants us to be.
Thank you for your support and prayers. If you have a specific prayer request, please know you can always email me to help lift your requests to God!
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Comments
2 responses to “He is the Potter, I am the Clay”
Thank you for this . I love to read it all. Pray for my grandkids for salvation also pray for both my boys Tim and Steven with health issues. Thank you
I am so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for commenting. I will add those requests to my prayers 🙂