"Can I not deal with you as the potter does?

Jeremiah 18 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

The Potter and the Clay

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, ² “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” ³ Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. ⁴ But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, ⁶ “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. ⁷ At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; ⁸ if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. ⁹ Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; ¹⁰ if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. ¹¹ So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.”’ ¹² But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’

It amazes me how many people claim to believe in God yet question His sovereignty. It is one thing for those who say they do not believe God exists to also say there is no authority in their life, that after all is really the reason they do not acknowledge God in the first place. They recognize that to acknowledge God makes you accountable to Him.  But for those who say that they do believe in God yet they want to set the parameters of His existence and authority according to their own standards or preferences it is lunacy. If God is God then He is supreme. He is the one who establishes everything. James 2:19 says:  You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

God is sovereign, He has all rule and authority in Exodus 33:19 He spoke to Moses saying:    And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”    Daniel 2:20-22 says:  Daniel said, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. 21"It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding. 22"It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him.…      God owes us no explanation of things and as God He has the right and authority to do whatever He wants in and with our lives.

It is not God’s desire though to destroy us. Rather in response to the rebellious nature of man God showed mercy. God loved us from the beginning. Because we could not be all that God created us to be on our own, He sent His Son, Jesus, so that through Him we might be recreated into God’s likeness.

Romans 8:28-30 says:   And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

We have a choice in our lives as to how we will respond to difficulties and adversity. We can allow those things to harden us and so allow bitterness, anger, fear and many other negative things to be what shapes us. Or we can choose to remain soft and pliable in the hand of God our creator. We can allow Him to shape us and mold us in and through the difficulties we face. God’s desire is that we do become “conformed to the image of His Son” That was His intention from the beginning when He created man He said: "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…(Genesis 1:26)   God is sovereign and God is powerful, yet His hand upon us is gentle and loving. We choose the amount of pressure God needs to mold us by our response to Him.

1 Peter 5:5-7 says: God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.   ⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷ casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.        God’s hand is mighty, when we resist He says to us like He did to Paul when he was still resisting God.”Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 26:14)

Rather, when the burden is too heavy, Jesus calls us, as it says in 1 Peter 5:7, to cast those cares upon Him. He says in Matthew 11:28-29   “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Heavenly Father, Sovereign God thank You for Your hand upon my life. Thank You that in Your grace and mercy You sent Jesus, Your Son, so that in and through Him I could be recreated, molded into the image and the form You desire. Thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit. Water me with Your Spirit I pray, that I will remain soft and pliable in Your hand. May I become the vessel You have chosen for Your purpose and Your desire, to Your glory.   Amen.