" Clay in the POTTER's Hands "

Jeremiah 18:1-10   " The WORD which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, ' Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear MY WORD's.' Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter:  so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.  Then the WORD of the LORD came to me, saying, ' 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. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;  if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil,  I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.  And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to build and to plant it;  if it do evil in MY sight, that it obey not MY voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.' " 

     The basic truth emphasized in our text is the power of the POTTER and the insignificance of the clay.  It is absolutely vital for us to grasp this concept. Atheists deny the very existence of a  "POTTER."  Liberal religionists claim that the  "clay"  has developed to such an extent that it can now shape itself.  But true believers should accept the glorious truth that the best place for the clay is in the POTTER's hands.

     In the prophet Jeremiah's day, the people were greatly distressed due to their enemies, but in their pride, they refused to recognize the underlying reason for their problems and the only cure.  Had Israel been willing to trust the LORD and become as clay in the POTTER's hand, they could have enjoyed victory and GOD's blessing.  But this Israelite  "clay"  refused to be molded by the POTTER; as a result, they instead had to be  "broken"  by the POTTER. How tragic, and yet how completely avoidable, this was !

     It is easy for us to find fault with backsliding Israel; then again, how often do we, likewise, act as though the "clay" can do everything and refuse to surrender to the POTTER.  Have we forgotten that even our work for the LORD is not ours,  but  HIS ?  As Bible-believing fundamentalists, have we fallen into the  "Slough of Despond"  because we are so weak and few in number ? Have we forgotten that GOD can and will take the most unlikely lump of clay and shape it into a vessel  "meet for the MASTER's use"  (2nd.Timothy 2:21) ?  Are we trying to compete with other  "vessels"  rather than being willing to be broken and formed anew by the POTTER ?  Let us be content in simply being clay in the POTTER's hands, shaped according to HIS will, so that HE will have all the glory. MHR

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie

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