8 Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message.” 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.”
9 “Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?
19 One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
“The Potter’s plan is to display His artistry, but if a piece of clay isn’t allowing His craftsmanship, He’ll contrive some pretty drastic measures. He’ll press it into a ball and start over. He’ll take the same clay and use a different approach. His goal is beauty, and He will stop at nothings to achieve it...Consider the heart of the Potter – His ultimate goal, His tender care, His exquisite artistry. Then apply His heart to your present circumstances.” Chris Tiegreen
“When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.” John Ruskin
“Man finds it hard to get what he wants because he does not want the best.” George MacDonald
“One of the first things for which we have to pray is a true insight into our condition.” Olive Wyon
“God’s fingers can touch nothing but to mold it into loveliness.” George MacDonald
“By continually abiding in Christ, the one who has been pruned to bring forth much fruit will bring forth much fruit.” Elmer Towns
“Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.” A. W. Tozer
“We are reluctant to relax in the hands of the Potter for one main reason: We forget why we exist. We assume that clay exists for the sake of its own feelings or dreams. We focus on ‘clay esteem,’ ‘clay actualization,’ or ‘clay fulfillment,’ oblivious to the infinitely larger purpose of our formation. Clay really exists for the Potter alone. When the Artist is allowed to do His work, the clay displays the creativity of His heart and mind.” Chris Tiegreen
“No one can dissuade God from His purposes; nothing can turn Him aside from His plans.” A.W. Tozer
“The Potter is focused on outcomes. While He is spinning the wheel, softening the clay, cutting the design, and firing the kiln, He is preoccupied with one thing: what it will look like in the end...The beauty of the art is in His mind the whole time.” Chris Tiegreen
“When God doesn’t prevent suffering, He gives us perspective on suffering. Sometimes you just have to get a ‘God’s-eye’ view to see that the Master Potter is scooping up all the rubble and ruin from your low place to mold and create good in your life. His love reaches down into the dirt – what you may think is utter defeat or hopeless – and lifts you to see that He can turn what you may view as worthless into something worthwhile. God can take what we think is worthless and turn it into something worthwhile. Often, when we’re down, all we can see is the valley, the wasteland – we feel like our lives are a mess. But our loving God does not see us and our low places that way. The stuff you think may be just too messy, too ugly, too far gone is the stuff God is infusing with purpose. The sorrow that hurts you? God fashions it into faith that sustains you. The sin you’re ashamed of? God uses it to create beautiful humility. The failures you regret? God turns them into wisdom. The grief that shattered your heart? God crafts that into unshakeable faith. The missed opportunities? God uses those to make you reflect His grace. The loss you never expected? God molds that into strength you can’t explain. God can make your low place a stepping stone to climb higher with Him. He can take even the worst things in your life – the injustice, defeat, abandonment or failure – to create the best for you, His beloved child.” Jennifer Rothschild