IN THE POTTER’S HANDS

One profession which has so much fascinated me is pottery making. Pottery making is a profession and at the same time a hobby. Africa is noted for pottery making because about 90% of all children on the continent grow playing in and with clay. It was not until recently that modernization has taken most African children from clay. I quite remember some very good times I had in and with clay – making cars, superheroes, houses, etc.
Those childhood days are memorable. God, however, has such memories too – working with clay. He made Adam out of clay and has from thence given mankind the ability to reproduce their kind, in the womb. God is the first and greatest potter. His material for the pottery works is no longer clay but His children. Surely God is unchanging but His methods do change. 

“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.” (Jer. 18:4-6)

Children of God are clay in the hands of the greatest Potter. In our scripture we notice that the initial vessel was marred i.e. it could not stand in the working. Thus after the vessel had been made it got spoiled. Not because it was not made well but because something hand gotten incorporated into it. Maybe gravel or some small solid object had been the cause. This made the potter destroy the entire vessel for remaking. I remember one day when my clay captain planet broke down by itself because a small stone had found itself in the vertebrae column. The stone caused me to dismantle my beautiful work. O how I grieved that day. 

Mankind got marred because of the incorporation of Self-will (i.e. stubborn determination to hold unto personal views and behavior). And many more people are still getting marred day by day for the same old reason. It is imperative for the potter to make what he is creating to that which pleases him. God is obliged as a potter to remove any thing which tends to spoil His vessel. You may want to ask why God is not working on the Boko Haram in Nigeria or the Al Qaeda in Iraq or Al Shabab in Somalia? The issue here is that God is dealing with a vessel He has made already, not the entire creation, but those who call Him Father and He too calls them children. We see in our scripture that God referred to Israel not Assyria or Babylon. These madmen deny God as their Father because they do not know Him neither do they want Him although they must have Him. 

God wants to work on His vessels. When an individual receives the life of the Son of God, he or she becomes a vessel God wants to use. But before the usage any integration must be removed. After the removal the broken vessel (now clay) is kneaded to an appropriate quality. Breaking is important to get every unwanted substance out. Sometimes some prayers remain answered so we can learn faith, patience and perseverance. Without these qualities walking by faith becomes a hard nut to crack. During this period of breaking and kneading all self-sins are dealt with, including pride, jealousy, rebellion and etc. etc. After this is done the clay is re-molded into to the desired vessel – a vessel which pleases the Maker. A vessel characterized by humility, love, faithfulness and the fruit of the Spirit is that which God desires for His pottery. Vessels with these qualities without any incorporation whatsoever are able to stand and withstand. 

When a vessel is made, it is definitely not for beautification but for a purpose. The vessel should be filled in order to function to please the Maker. Just as Jesus instructed some people to fill some vessels with water at the wedding feast so does He fill all His vessels too. Empty vessels, however, use up space which can obviously store useful things. He fills the vessels according to their capacities with what would merit it service. It is incongruous to fill a vessel with kerosene when the people it is serving are in need of oil. But the bottom line is that God fills His vessels with gifts, talents, potentials, skill and many others I cannot use the rest of the pages to name. 

In entirety “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.” (1 John 2:20) The vessels are filled because they must be used. Anytime I made my stuffs with clay I used them like any child uses theirs. I remember watching cartoons on my clay TV. I do not know how that was possible but every child is like that. Children play from the library of their imagination and it feels real to them. That is their world and it feels good. Inherently God expects His vessels to fulfill unique purposes. In the potter’s hands is a vessel remade and filled to fulfill a unique purpose. Indubitably God has remade you and filled you to accomplish a unique purpose to glorify Him.

 

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By S. E. Entsua-Mensah. ©2014 Christ for Humanity Outreach 

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