But now, Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter, and all of us are the work of your hand.
Isaiah 64:8
The DVD called The Potter is amazing! I just watched it again this week with the ladies in my weekly Bible studies, and each time I see it, I’m so encouraged and blessed! A professional potter narrates while he is forming a vase beginning with a lump of clay all the way to completion. He explains the analogies between the way a potter creates beautiful and useful pottery and the way God works with His people to transform us throughout our lives to become more like Jesus. Here are some of the main points he makes that are so important to remember as we go through life with God.
The potter started with a lump of clay, and he pounds it and kneads it, checking to see if it is the quality necessary for the item he has in mind. His first analogy is that the clay must be centered on the potter’s wheel. He reminds us of the importance for us to be centered on God, still and yielded to the work of His hands.
In the example of creating a large vase, the potter created an opening in the clay. His hand carefully reached into the clay, clear to the bottom. That represents how we must be indwelt by the Holy Spirit internally.
To make a taller vase requires a step called “pulling.” It happens through pressure from both of the potter’s hands, one inside and one on the outside. The narrator spoke of the stretching that occurs from pressure in our life which could easily destroy us if we did not have the inward strength of the Holy Spirit to counteract that external pressure. That requires us to surrender to God’s plan for our life, trusting that He knows best.
At times, we experience “revival”, a time when we are aware of God’s hands creating new life. At other times we may feel spiritually dry, as if the Potter has forgotten us. But we can be assured that His eye is on us at all times. At a certain point, the potter will trim away excess clay, making the object thinner so it won’t be so heavy. God knows when to trim away excess in our lives that keep us from being fully devoted to Him.
When the vessel is complete, the potter carves his name on the bottom to show he is the one who made it. Scripture tells us that our names are written on the palms of God’s hands (Isaiah 49:16a). He has made us, and we are His!
We go through seasons of life — sometimes visible growth, at times feeling dormant. But God is waiting for the perfect moment to continue the process of transforming us. Another vital step in the potter’s process is placing the vessel in a kiln heated at extremely high temperature. In the DVD, the potter describes how the vessels might feel as they’re placed in the kiln. “It feels dangerous…It feels like the potter has left us…” But the vessels can’t know how beautiful, strong and useful they will become. The clay molecules fuse, become glass-like, no longer porous. The vessels are transformed by the intense heat. And all the while, the potter is right there, keeping a close watch on the temperature, knowing exactly how long the process will take. And the same is true with the Lord, our Potter. He is faithful, will not abandon us. He takes what is weak and breakable, and makes us strong and beautiful through the fiery trials of our lives.
Our Potter knows the plans for us, and He has given each of His children gifts of the Spirit that will be used to accomplish those plans. This message is such a powerful reminder to me to trust the Lord, my Potter, with every day of my life. Through every circumstance, He is sovereignly in control, He loves us, and promises never to leave us, and He is good! Romans 8:28 promises that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Are there circumstances in your life right now that make you think the Potter has forgotten you or raised the temperature higher than you can bear? How does this message encourage you?
What stage of the transformation process are you experiencing now? Are you newly in the process of being formed? Is your life centered on God? Are you aware that His hands are shaping you? Are you feeling “pulled and stretched?” Maybe you’re in a period of intense trial which seems like a fiery, fearful experience.
Will you trust the Potter to know exactly what’s happening at every moment and is working out His plan for your life? Write a prayer of response to Him.