A Jar of Clay

A Jar of Clay

 

Like clay being shaped by the potter’s hand as he sees fit, this is what God is doing with us. He knows what life holds for us, and the reality is that life holds a great deal more than we ever bargain for when we first embark on this exciting but unpredictable journey. Life is not going to be a Sunday picnic for any of us. It will be filled with problems and challenges. It is not going to be all smiles and sunshine and nice choruses; for those who desire to serve God and others, we can expect a stern battle with the enemy who desires to hinder God’s plans. 

 

 “We carry the precious message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

We don’t like war, whether it is in the Middle East or in the depths of our hearts. But like it or not, we must face this warfare with strength, courage and conviction. Ultimately, to prevail we must rely upon God’s strength – and not our own. Whatever happens, we are called to become God’s man, God’s woman. 

Do you know what happens to the clay pot after it is properly formed? It is put into the fire, where it can be baked and hardened. Like the pot, we also must go into the fire – the furnace of life’s struggles and adversities. We don’t like the furnace – it’s hot. Seemingly unbearable! But if we resist, we can ruin the results of a remarkable process.

You don’t want to crack and become useless, do you? Then persevere and endure. Finally, when the oven is opened, and the pot – you – is removed, you will discover that two wonderful things have happened. First, that the pot (you) has gained strength and it (your life) has gained a beauty or color that was burned into it.

“O Father, take this lump of clay,
Fashion it for Your glory today….
Shape me with Your gentle hands.
Impress on me Your just demands.
O God, may I even yet come to be
The vessel You wish to make of me.” – D.J. Buitendyk