The Hands of the Potter

Jeremiah 18

The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.  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.

My friend had broken the lovely tile that covered his floor and posted a picture on facebook.

I enquired in a silly and playful manner, “Why dost thou smash beauty?”.

I knew there was a good reason. Perhaps the floor had been rotting beneath, or the tile that was already removed damaged, and the floor needed to be redone. His reply surprised me.   I awaited explanation and he instead replied,

“To make more beauty, of course.”

And I thought of the above scripture immediately.

Picture a potter at the wheel, looking down at what sits between his gifted – his skilled hands.
Picture the marring in the clay.
Picture him “making it again another vessel.”

A potter smashes the heck out of that clay. Did you know that?
The skillful fingertips that tenderly gently form and shape beauty are those same fingers that make up the part of the fists that slam against the clay and manipulate the substance into yet another form.

I have no explanation for the hardness we endure in this life.

I wish I did.

What I do have, are arms of consolation. Kisses on the cheek and forehead and soothing words to comfort one who is in the process of being made into “again another vessel”. What I do have is the ability to look forward at the lovely thing that will be; The finished product.

That, dear friends, is hope in our hearts, and we all know that no man can survive long without hope.

Yield yourself to the potter.
Yield yourself to his plan – His vision for you.
He has something in mind – for you.
And another scripture pops into my mind.

Jeremiah 29

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

And I will be found of you, saith the LORD.

Not only does your Creator see you, hear you, and love you, he has made plans for you and they do not involve evil.

In fact, they involve his being Found Of You.
And “An Expected End”.
How lovely are those words to one whose future seems so uncertain at times?

Perhaps you are on the potter’s wheel.
Perhaps you are marred.
Perhaps you are being re-created.

Remember my question to Steve.

“Why dost thou smash beauty?”
and remember his answer.
” To make more beauty of course.”

But more importantly of all, remember in whose hands you rest.
The safest, most skillful, most capable, and most beautiful hands in the Universe.

The Hands of the Potter.♥