SS Thoughts 42: #Broken Vessels

Pottery making is an art—one that I’ve yet to learn!! I’m informed that creating a beautiful piece of pottery involves many steps, e.g. selecting the right type of clay, aging the clay – “until it stinks”, kneading, shaping, firing (baking), and then glazing the final object.¹ If after all of this harsh treatment, the vessel has not cracked or been marred, then it is ready to be used in whatever manner it was created for.

But sometimes a previously perfect piece of pottery can break while being used. It takes a Master Potter to restore it to its original form – sometimes even better than it was in the first place!!

  

God Himself is the Master Potter and we are merely the clay to be formed into the design He has chosen. "O Lord, you are our father. We are the clay; you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand" (Isa. 64:8 NIV).

Jesus as a potter is a beautiful image that reminds us of His tender care for our wellbeing. Just as a potter can reshape a dented vessel into something beautiful again, Jesus can reshape our broken lives – to being virtually without spot or blemish. He has also promised to restore this earth into a beautiful place where we will live with Him, or better still, where He will live with us! It is good to know that we are in the hands of a loving Potter who wants to have a close relationship with His human vessels.²

Perhaps we can regard our trials on this earth as the heating in the fire that will make us ready to be used by Him. May my perspective always be that my small bruises can never compare to His innocent body being broken, and His blood spilled out, for MY sins. Won’t YOU submit to His kneading and reshaping in YOUR life?

¹Good News Magazine  Oct-Nov 1980 Vol. XXVII, No. 9  ISSN 0432-0816}

²Teacher’s Comments - Adult SS Lessons Oct 24-30 2015

I really like this song “Broken And Spilled Out": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFYoQ-8Mpx8”

I like this one too - shared on my FB post - "A Potter and His Clay" by Wintley Phipps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIatZcknct4&feature=youtu.be