In high school, I had to take a fine arts course. Art is not my forte, but there I was my senior year with my graduation in the balance trying to pass this class. My final senior project was making a vase out of clay on the spinning wheel. It started as a vase, turned into a bowl, and ended up as an ashtray. After much laughter, the Art teacher passed me. We are the clay, and our Heavenly Father is the potter. We are the work of God’s Hands.
Isaiah 64:8
Yet Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we all are the work of your hands.”
Be Flexible
Isaiah gives us some of the most poetic language in all of the Bible. Chapter sixty-four is a perfect example. He paints this picture of a potter sitting at his pottery wheel, making utensils out of clay, and then he explains that we are the clay in the hands of God, and He is molding and shaping us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Something is comforting about that picture.
Tested by Fire
When a potter encounters a piece of clay that has a defect, he cuts out the defective part and then reforms the pliable clay. He is not opposed to starting all over if the pot collapses during its formation or cracks during its curing. He wants the best product possible. What determines if the pot is going to be usable is the final stage, the fire. The potter puts the pot in the kiln to dry it out, seal it, and expose any flaws.
We Are the Work of God’s Hands
We all want the assurance that we will turn out to be something in life. Most of the time, we think it is up to us, but in reality, we know it is God who is calling the shots. The key is submitting to His work in our lives. If there are defects in our character, we need to let Christ cut those out. If we are still a little wet, we need to go through the fire so that we will be fully cured. Don’t despise the work God is doing to make you into a vessel that He can pour His Holy Spirit.