But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7
Treasures in earthen vessels
Written by: Michael Herbert
Jeremiah 18 describes the work of the potter and the clay. The Lord told the prophet Jeremiah, And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Jeremiah 18:4 The Lord knew what he wanted to create and had drawn up the master blue prints before the very foundations of the world. In the Lord’s mind, he sees the clay as the finished product. His entire goal is to bring that clay into complete conformity to the blue print. He is not looking to make it any other than what was drawn up. One time I had a problem with a Ford SUV I once owned so I took it to my trusty mechanic who advised he couldn’t fix my SUV and said that I needed to go to a Ford mechanic who had been trained from the Ford auto plant. Within a few hours, I was on my way with the problem resolved. The difference is the Ford mechanic knew the blueprint of my SUV and because he knew he could fix the issue.
God is the same way. He spins us on the potter’s wheel, but every touch he places on the vessel is known to him. When an issue comes into our lives he remembers the blueprint from which you were made and he is able to fix us regardless of the mess we’ve gotten into. His best plan is laid out for us to have. You may say to God, “I can’t become that person!” and indeed you are correct if your thinking is you’re going to make it on your own. Only the skillful hands of the potter can shape and mold us into the fashion we were meant to be created in. He leaves no detail out when it comes to fashion us. The Holy Spirits soft touch is always molding in a treasure for the entire world to see. He delights in spinning us on the potter’s wheel. He delights in what he has created and, if by chance the mar is shown, then the bible says he takes pleasure to remold the clay. We are reminded Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 We came into this world with nothing and surely we will leave the same way. God-breathed life into us for the praise of his glory and God is excited when he sees that which he has created being a light to this world that Jesus saves and transforms.
God has invested his life into ours. The countless hours the Holy Spirit makes to shape and mold us is beyond our wildest imagination. It takes a lot of water to make clay molds. There are ample amounts of the Holy Spirit to shape us into what God wants us to become. The responsibility we have is to surrender and trust God has our back. To believe that no matter what happens, God will use it for our good. God uses people who are rough around the edges to be sandpaper. These people sandpaper the rough mares in our lives in order to make us more polished as Christians. Who doesn’t have the person in their lives that just rubs them the wrong way without even trying? We sometimes cry out why God made us with all of these flaws and mars and the Lord declares to us, but who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use? Romans 9:20,21 Our gracious Father and our Lord Jesus Christ along with the precious Holy Spirit looks to mold and drastically change us from the old nature into the nature of Christ.
The question God was asking Israel is the same question he is asking of you and me, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. (Vs 6) Are we willing to let go of the reins of our lives and give ourselves to God or will we fight and resist his work in our life? Knowing that the triune God who created everything and holds all things in the balance wants to do the same thing in us is nothing short of a miracle within itself. In Jeremiah 1 God tells us about the blueprint for Jeremiah’s life, but the same can be said about us, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1:5 Our blueprint of greatness is there for the taking if we simply allow God to do what God does best, be God. We become exhibits for our Lord to show this world of darkness how their life can be changed if they only let him. Successful people will always do what successful people won’t. Those who remained on the Potter’s wheel till the last days of their life never regretted staying on the potter’s wheel. Remember that God is creating a masterpiece in you and me. He has designed us to conquer and overcome. What we process inside cannot be measured in worth because the designer and architect are priceless. We should live each day knowing the treasure we have was not rot with human hands, but rather by the creator himself.