THE POTTER'S WHEEL

Dear Friends,

Today, I want to share on the Potter's Wheel. Many years ago, I used to do pottery. I loved to feel the clay between my fingers. I loved to create beautiful pots, and functional pots too. It is a wonderful creative experience. And so often, our life experiences can help us to relate to similar experiences in the Bible.

"This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. "Go down to the Potter's House, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the Potter's House, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

Then the word of the Lord came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the Lord. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel."" Jer. 18:1-6 NIV

I think that God wanted to give Jeremiah a visual demonstration of what was on His Heart. Jeremiah went and watched the Potter throwing a clay pot on the wheel. He would have seen how the clay was very pliable and flexible in the potter's hand.

When you make clay, you have to sieve out all the impurities, so that the clay would have a consistent body for moulding. Imperfect clay will easily show up when throwing a clay pot on the wheel, as it would not form properly, and so become "marred." It really is no use.

God has to work on us to remove the imperfections in our character. We have to let go of known sin, and live as God would want us too. This makes us, the clay, ready for use.

To be made into a clay pot, we have to be pliable. As the potter applies pressure to the clay between his fingers, the clay has to yield to the direction that the potter wants the clay to go in. This gives the pot its shape... whether it is tall and slim, or short and squat. The Potter makes the decision as to what the pot will ultimately look like.

This is an important aspect of our spiritual development. It is God who calls us into His Kingdom. It is God who has already decided our Calling and Function within the Body of Christ. It is not our choice, but God's Choice.

The clay cannot say to the Potter, I don't want to be a teacup. I want to be a teapot! Both are made differently according to their purpose. A teacup has a wide open mouth suitable for drinking from, and a handle to hold it by. It holds enough tea for one person to consume. The teapot on the other hand, is an enclosed vessel. It has a lid to keep the tea warm. It has a larger handle, and holds a greater capacity for tea. It also has a spout for pouring. The spout and the handle balance each other off weight wise at either end of the teapot, so it would not topple over!

These two pots are made differently, according to their PURPOSE. One just cannot be the other! So, too, with us in the Body of Christ. For example, a Pastor and a Musician have been given different abilities to fulfill their purpose. A Pastor has a listening ear, and can spend hours talking with people about their problems. A Musician has a musical gifting, and leads us into the Presence of God when we worship. Two very different functions.

God wants us to YIELD to the Calling He has on our lives.... to willingly yield. Sometimes, we may think that a different position in the Body of Christ is more appealing. God wants us to find out from Him our Purpose, and for each of us to walk in it and to be the best we can be! He does not want us to envy each other, but to encourage and appreciate each other.

God has good plans for our lives. We need to trust Him. He knows what He is doing. God's heart cry to Israel.... "can I not do with you as this potter does?" God was finding His People to be stubborn, and unyielded. Several times in the Bible God describes His People as being "stiff-necked".

Is it so hard for God to talk to us? Do we allow Him to be God in our lives? How can we be God's People, yet still continue to go our own way?

I question my own life. Am I following the Will of God for me? Have I been distracted by other people and things? I think I need to be more focussed, to manage my time and resources better, so that I can achieve all that God would have me to.

What about you, my Friends? Take time to search your heart.... spend time with God so that He can speak to You clearly. It is always good to check in with God, and make sure that you are still on the right track.