Jeremiah 18: The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4 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. 5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 6 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.
This speaks to our position—who and what we are. We’ll never get to the point we don’t need the Potter to work with us. I’m glad the Lord is involved with his people. He wants to continually work with us and on us. He loves us and sees something worth working with. He works for us each day, but don’t focus on that and forget about our relationship with him. God is for us, but he’s also with us. If we want him to work for us, we need him to be with us as we yield our lives to him.
Jeremiah was up against it. He looked for any indication that Israel was going to leave the idol worship and turn back to God. We get the term “backsliding” from Jeremiah in his reference to Israel turning from God. God told Jeremiah the people needed to see themselves in his hand and be molded as clay in the potter’s hand. The only hope we have is in the Potter’s hands. It’s not what we make of ourselves; it’s what he makes of us. He has to work on us to make our life work. We can’t the any credit.
God took Jeremiah to the potter’s house. The wheel went round and round. Pottery was on display. His blueprint for his current project would be there. The potter worked the clay as the wheel went around from the power of the potter’s legs. It is by the power of God that we’re saved. The clay took shape. His fingers worked on the clay. Then he found that the clay was marred. Contaminants came to the surface as the clay was spun on the wheel. It wasn’t coming together. That’s why we need the Potter. He knows exactly what to do. The potter didn’t give up and bust it against the wall or throw it in the trash. He made it again putting just enough water to remake it. The water of the Word will work out the hardness and indifference in our lives. The potter knows how to make the clay workable and dig out the impurities. That’s why the Bible talks about the moving of the Spirit to bring our impurities to the surface. A potter knows how to get rid of what isn’t supposed to be there. When the clay gets too soggy he has to work out the water so he can work with it. Sometimes we get watered down and timid for the Lord. He knows how to work us and make us bolder. I can’t do it, but the Lord can.
O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. If God so gifted the potter, how much more can the master Potter do with us in his hand? Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. If God is willing to let me be in his hand, who am I to say no? Why remain a shapeless lump of clay? Be shaped for his use. Let him be your potter. Be his clay.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 