Tag Archives: master Potter

Charles Stanley – Molded by the Master

 

Jeremiah 18:1-6

In today’s Scripture passage, God is teaching us about His relationship with His children. He says that He will deal with us just as a potter works with clay and that we, like the clay, are in His hands.

God deals with believers in two ways. First, He is molding every one of us into the image of His Son Jesus. Second, He is shaping us for a specific purpose, one that is individually designed so we will help build His kingdom. Our part as the clay is to submit ourselves to His purpose. As the Potter, He may subtract something from our life—similar to removing lumps from clay. Another possibility is that He may speed up the pace until we feel as if we’re spinning. Or, desiring a new shape for His “vessels,” He might dramatically rework our pattern of living in order to start us in a new direction. Our responsibility is to accept any changes from the Master Potter.

We can do this confidently because we are in God’s hands. Scripture describes them as:

  • Creative hands whose skillful work is displayed in nature.
  • Hands filled with righteousness.
  • Hands that give life and take it away.
  • Mighty and powerful hands that rescued Israel from Egypt and us from slavery to sin.
  • Hands that protect us.
  • Hands that were pierced so we might be made new.

When we think about being clay in the Potter’s hands and the ways that God deals with us, we can relax knowing “in His hands” is exactly the place we want to be.

Bible in One Year: Psalms 67-70

 

Charles Stanley – Molded by the Master

Read | Jeremiah 18:1-6

If you have ever watched a potter work, as Jeremiah did in today’s passage, you know the wonder of seeing a lovely vessel take shape from a lump of clay. God’s object lesson to the prophet was that the nation of Israel—as well as every person from the beginning of time—was to be shaped by His hand. We are all lumps of human clay waiting for the touch of the master Potter.

When clay is placed on the wheel, the potter already has a specific design in mind. The same is true of us—God has determined how He plans to work in our life and what part we are to play in building His kingdom (Eph. 2:10). He shapes with His hands and cuts with His tools so that our character begins to look like that of His Son Jesus. Each believer will be formed differently to carry out the unique service God has in mind for him or her. But regardless of our special equipping, we all bear the unmistakable imprint of our Potter.

Too often we look around at the talents and abilities of others and wish to be more like someone else. But we have been perfectly designed for the purposes God has for us, and He makes no mistakes. If we spend our time wishing for talents that do not suit God’s plan, or if we refuse to use the spiritual gifts He’s given us, we waste His effort and our opportunity to serve Him.

The Master is pleased with the way that He has designed our life and the abilities He’s poured into us. To honor the Potter as a vessel should, we must submit to being molded and used as He desires.