O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.
Jeremiah 18:6 NLT
In Jeremiah 18:6, we find a metaphorical journey from clay to vessel that holds profound lessons for our spiritual walk. Just as a potter moulds clay into purposeful shapes, our lives too are subject to a divine sculpting process. This making can be compared to the work discipleship aim to achieve in us. However, the potency of discipleship lies significantly in whose hands we willingly place our lives. The one who moulds us has a significant impact on the outcome of our lives.
Therefore, it’s essential to choose wisely and entrust our lives to God through godly men whose lives are proofs of His moulding. By doing so, we can be sure that we will become vessels unto honour. Likewise, we can be sure that we will fulfil God’s purpose for our lives.
Every clay vessel you see today was once an ordinary lump of clay, nothing more, nothing less. Though, it had the potential of becoming a clay vessel, whether a pot, a cup, or any other shape possible. But it would remain an ordinary lump of clay unless it was subjected to the necessary moulding.
Meanwhile, note that the moulding of clay into a vessel is the work of a potter. No one else can do it as well as the potter can. Similarly, who is moulding you in discipleship? If you entrust your life into the hand of God through godly men whose lives are proofs of God’s moulding, you can be sure that you will become a vessel unto honour. However, if you choose otherwise, you should prepare for whatever comes out of it. You can as well expect that would be nothing useful in the kingdom.
“…can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay?” Isn’t it surprising that God had to ask this kind of question? The reality is that everyone of us is like the clay in the hand of the potter. However, we have the opportunity of making choices. Unlike clay, we have the choice to submit or resist the potter’s work. Meanwhile, God will not work over a ‘clay’ that would not freely submit itself to the making.
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.”
Jeremiah 18:4 NIV
We must realise that God has a plan and a purpose for each of us; He wants to mould us into vessels of honour. Meanwhile, the clay doesn’t always turn out exactly as expected at once; there may be a need for a couple of breaking and remoulding until the desired result is achieved. However, if we choose to submit to His hand, we will enjoy the benefits of being useful in his kingdom and fulfilling his will. If we choose to resist, we will miss out on his best for us and remain ordinary and unprofitable.
In conclusion, God is the potter, and we are the clay. He knows what is best for us, and he wants to mould us into vessels of honour. Therefore, let us humble ourselves and trust the potter’s work, knowing that He will not disappoint us. We should submit to His hand and trust His plan and purpose for our lives. By doing so, we will enjoy the benefits of being useful in his kingdom and fulfilling his will. Remember, we have the choice to either submit or resist the potter’s work, but the choice we make will determine the outcome of our lives.
