Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.
Undoubtedly we are all a creation of the Master Potter. Just as God formed Adam from the dust of the ground we too are formed by Him. In order to be a vessel that is useful for the Kingdom of God we need to be shaped by the Potter’s hands.
We are plopped on the Potter’s wheel when we’re miraculously born on to this earth. Until we accept His love and forgivness we are spinning wildly out of control on the wheel. Even as Christians if we decide we’re the ones in control, God will take His hands off of the clay until we realize that we cannot shape ourselves into someone that has great purpose.
As we fully surrender to God’s guidance, He will take the clay and start over. In order for Him to make us into what He wants, He must reshape us. This will cause real pain. It could be in the form of leaving unhealthy relationships or getting rid of harmful habits. He opens our eyes to sin that has kept us from the blessing that God desires for us. But this is temporary discomfort as it is the Potter’s hands that are shaping us, and this means He is always close.
Now that we have taken our shape, it is time for the fire which removes impurities and hardens the clay so it won’t go back to mud form. Going through the fire is never the most pleasant experience but God wants us refined and ready to use. The hardships of life builds our character in such a way to prevent us from returning to our old form.
After the fire comes the glory. The Potter decorates us with his glory and goodness so that we attract others. In His creativity the Potter has made uniquely able to reach out to different people through the gifts and talents He’s put in us.
Now the Holy Spirit can be poured in and out of us to bring refreshing and life to those that need it. God has called us to be His vessels of glory to touch other lives. We are to be used. We are not made to simply sit on the shelf for decoration.
This process can happen multiple times in our lives as we go through different seasons. God opens new doors of opportunity throughout life. He always wants to shape us in to the form He desires.
The Potter is waiting to put us to use. Our job is to take our hands off and be the work of His hand.