Verse:
“The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him. Then the word of the LORD came to me: Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the LORD. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.”
Thought:
Who we are is often defined in two different terms; who God wants us to be and who we choose to be. This
dichotomy exists because we fear going somewhere we have not been. When God enters into our life we have
a simple choice to make, transform or not. We might argue that the invitation is not as clear for one as
another, but it all depends on who is talking and who is listening. Someone once remarked that some people
will change when they see the light. Others change only when they feel the heat. This was not exactly what
God said, however, it was the point He was making as he revealed Himself to Jeremiah.
Hear the Good News, although we live in this condition of being preoccupied with ourselves, in God's hands, He
reworks us. God turns us on His wheel, shaping us over and over again. In those areas which might be weak,
He fortifies us. He never takes us off His wheel unfinished. Our struggle is that being shaped takes us
through a couple of different stages in our growth and development. St. Augustine identifies three simple stages
with Sin. "Lord make me good, but not yet." "Lord make me good, but not entirely." And finally, "Lord make me
good." This final stage is when we become His vessels. This is when we exhibit His nature in what we do and
who we are. The catch is, as Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion reminds us, “Everything continues in a state of
rest unless it is compelled to change by forces impressed upon It.” We must submit to His work in our life.
This is Our Decision. It is our decision to Be Outside God’s Will. This can be in obvious ways but also in
little almost unnoticeable ways. This does not have to be what happens to us, to our lives or to our faith
because it is also our decision to Be Within God’s Will. You see, it is our choice. The Facts are we live
within the Human Condition, Sin. We have some options in our life and this particular choice is ours, to
live as Vessels of God’s working, or struggle against what God is doing within your life, your family and
this world, choosing yourself instead.
Prayer:
Gracious God, I celebrate the gift, the shaping and forming gift You offer to me where Grace is imparted and shapes me into Your vessel. Help me to commit or recommit myself to being the vessel You wants to shape me into. Thank You for all You have done and all You continue to do. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Grace & Peace
David Banks
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