"I, the Lord, have created it. Woe to you who strive with your Maker, earthen vessels with the potter! Does the clay say to the one who fashions it, "What are you making?" or "Your work has no handles?" (Isaiah 45:8-9)
The potter and clay metaphor appears often in the Holy Scriptures, especially to describe God and His works. For example, in the Book of Genesis, in the creation story, we read: "Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground" (Genesis 2:7). God created Adam from the soil of the earth, gave form and shape to humankind, and, through His breath, animated the human beings and gave them life.
This imagery of the potter and the clay reminds us that our lives are in God's hands. God is the expert Potter and Creator. We are clay in God's hands, and our lives are the potter's wheel. In the words of Apostle Paul, He can form us into "special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:21).
The different circumstances and changes surrounding us become God's hands and fingers in shaping our lives. He uses these to define and shape our lives, like the potter to the clay. God, as a skilled Potter, knows exactly how much pressure to use and where that pressure should be focused. He knows when to soften His hands to achieve the levelness and smoothness in us so that He may fashion us to be the vessels for the works He has prepared us to do.
There may be times when God, as a skilled Potter, takes us through the furnace, where the fire forms us to become firm and impermeable vessels. God allows us to go through difficulties and struggles so that through them, we may mature, grow, and strengthen to resemble and imitate the image of Christ. When you are passing through the fire of the furnace, do not fear and do not despair because "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son." (Romans 8:28-29)
A pottery made of clay itself may be less valuable, but what it contains has significant value. As Apostle Paul says, "For it is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us." (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)
God takes us through the fire to make our faith firm and patience secure, turning us into impermeable vessels to fill us with His Only Begotten Son's radiant light. He also promises to fill us with His Holy Spirit where we will bear much fruit: "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23)
Therefore, come and let us accept and be obedient to God's power and providence, becoming part of His divine plan. With patience and perfect obedience, let us allow God to finish the work He has begun in us, making us honorable vessels, sanctified, and useful for our Lord.
