And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay,
you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Isaiah 64: 8
I left the gym this morning with renewed energy. Not only was I invigorated from a great exercise session, but I had the pleasure of reconnecting with a friend I hadn’t seen in awhile.
Having parted our ways, I hummed a tune as I lifted my face towards the sun. I smiled, feeling blessed to have had such a warm impromptu conversation with someone I had not only admired over the years, but with that special kind of person, who always makes you feel good, too.
Driving away I recalled the laughter of one particular mom’s group meeting at church that she had organized years before. Gathered around the table with lumps of clay, our imaginations and hands shaped and created what we hoped would resemble mugs, after they were fired up back at her talented husband’s studio.
Prepped and ready for the others at our next gathering, I recall hesitating. Somehow I instinctively knew that my one of a kind original piece would not measure up.
After the opening prayer, and discussion about the Master Potter himself, our “designer” cups were revealed. A quick glance around the room confirmed that each mug was as unique as its owner.
What happened next, I’m not sure, as all I could do was stare at the short, squat, and dented item with my initials and date signed on the bottom. At least the handle looked pretty good, I thought, but questions continued to nag me.
Why did I often feel that I had such a long way to go to measure up? Who was doing the measuring anyway? Clearly these beautiful women didn’t seem too concerned about anything beyond enjoying the fellowship of one another.
Simply put, I didn’t want to “be” like that useless cup hidden in the back of a shelf somewhere only to be overlooked or discarded.
Writing this years later, I know that anytime I seek approval from others, before going to the Lord I am in trouble.
I also know that all those times that I thought I had to look like and be a cookie cutter copy of someone else, I didn’t have to.
Friend, like me, maybe sometimes you may feel that you are not enough.
But honey, you are enough. You’ve always been enough. You always will be enough.
You and I are not measured by what we create, or even by any mountaintop achievements.
You and I are never overlooked or discarded.
God meets us where we are.
The Master Potter reshapes and restores us all.
With him we are enough.
Yielding to God’s will He kneads me, as I need him.
He does the same for you.
God’s greatest desire is for you and me to know him, and to love him by being obedient to his call.
In the Old Testament we see the image of the Potter when the prophet, Isaiah, reminds his people, “we are the clay, and God is the potter” (Isaiah 64: 8), pointing out our Sovereign God reigns with absolute power.
Again in the parable, “At the Potter’s House” the Almighty speaks a message to Jeremiah to share with the people of Judah, reminding them that it was He whom the nation had to repent to.
“Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message,” the Lord spoke. “So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 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: 1-4).
Although it is quite common for defects to appear when a potter is forming a piece of clay, the Master Potter refines, and reshapes us to be used for his glory.
Called and chosen to be Christ for one another, God empowers through the Holy Spirit as we walk away from darkness, sin, or despair to begin anew.
Sinful but redeemed by God, you and I are made in his image.
Perhaps part of the problem is how you and I tend to forget that God formed us in our mother’s womb, (Psalm 139: 13-16), and already knows every detail of our lives.
You see, not one of us is perfect. All we mere mortals can do is strive to be like Jesus by seeking a relationship with him. Emptying ourselves in repentance, obeying his Word, and allowing the transformative power of prayer to be at constant work in our lives we intentionally offer ourselves up to God.
Jesus understands what it means to be a work in progress.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2: 10).
Growing in wisdom the Master Potter shapes, fashions, and shapes again our earthen vessels giving us his Light to illuminate our path.
Under his watchful eye He restores our souls.
In closing, my dear sister in Christ, please know how loved, and beautiful you are. You are God’s Beloved. You are, and will always be enough. Let God use you. With complete trust, and surrender, He who has begun a good work in you is Faithful and true, and will never let you down.
Until next time…
May the Spirit of God lead you, the Word of God sustain you, and the promises of God grant you the gift of everlasting peace.
Love and blessings.
Let me know how the Master Potter is working in your life, and your specific prayer requests by emailing me at sue@faithfirstwomen.com.
Please share this with friends and invite them to subscribe to the blog at www.faithfirstwomen.com.
If you haven’t already, follow us on Facebook page at https://facebook.com/FaithFirstWomen or Faith First Women on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/faithfirstwomen for additional inspiration and information throughout the week.
Comments