Day 236 - He is the Potter and I am the Clay

Isaiah 64:8

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The pressure of the potter's hands on the clay, bending and shaping the piece of clay into a desired work of art...this is how God shapes us, as well. Sometimes, the pressure feels too great as He bends and shapes us...sometimes, even, in drastic and new designs. He has a purpose for our new design. He has a purpose for our "usefulness." He molds us according to His purpose for our lives.

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Sometimes, we begin to dry and crack...so He washes us with His Holy Spirit, with His word, making us pliable once again.

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Just as a potter would do as he forms a vase or vessel, God places His hands deep inside us to take away any unwanted and hidden thing, smoothing the interior and preparing it for its use. And the process doesn't end here. The potter uses a special tool to trim off (prune) any excess clay, any unwanted parts from on top and around the perimeter. And then the vessel is left to dry for a specified amount of time.

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And then the firing process begins. The potter uses supports and places the vessel into the fiery kiln. Notice, though, that the first firing process has support? God is our support, as well, when we are in our fiery furnace.

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After the piece has been fired for a specified amount of time, then it is left to cool. Once it has cooled, the potter uses a damp cloth or sponge and gently rubs the vessel, removing any remaining debris and imperfections before beginning the final phase: Glazing process. This process is what makes the clay so beautiful and admirable, shiny and attractive.

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The final phase of firing now begins: a long and precarious process wherein the vessel is once again placed into a fiery kiln. If the fire is too hot, the glaze just runs. If the fire is too cold, the glaze won't melt. And then, once all of these steps have been taken, the vessel must be left to cool for several days. What a beautiful picture this paints as symbolism of our faith in Christ!

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God takes His time with us. He knows exactly the type of vessel He wants to mold us into, He knows exactly what pruning and scraping and shaping we will need. He knows exactly the temperature we can withstand in the fiery furnace, and He knows the exact type of glaze to use in order to make us beautiful and attractive and ready for service.