Thursday 6 August 2009

The Master Potter

The ways and thoughts of God are completely different from those of mere mortals. As we journey through life, we set goals and targets for our lives.Often we would see anything short of these expectations as " failure , disappointment and defeat"!
While humans have their criteria and pigeon holes for judging and sorting out who is good enough, who is fit and who is not fit to be used by God , God sees himself in every human. He sees the end of every human being form the beginning of that life. His purpose for each person is GLORY AND VICTORY.
When man sees the outward useless person , God sees beauty and perfection , hidden in the crude , ugly clay of shattered lives and dreams.

God can indeed change hearts and repair damaged lives for with God nothing shall be impossible .
He used an ass to speak out his message . Numbers 22:21-35. So he can use anything and anybody to convey his message to the world.
We are clay and he is the Master Potter. With him there is no "unfinished project".
He could decide to make us , then break and mould us , again and again , until he is satisfied with the finished product.

When God decides to change a piece of clay , God "zeroes in" on it and takes it over completely!
There are remarkable accounts in the Bible and even in this age of powerful and affluent persons who were enemies of God being converted to become mighty vessels in his hands.
The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersover he will. Proverbs 21:1

The Master Potter is not interested only in unconverted persons.
He could take a vessel which he is using already and break it. Then he would mould and shape it up into another beautiful vessel; to be reassigned to "higher duties".
As "rivers of water ", he turns the clay on the Potter's wheel, to any direction and into any shape he desires.
As human "vessels", we do not understand and we often resent this "remoulding and reassignment" process.
Who loves to experience any form of sudden uprooting and upheavals in their lives?
When that contract falls through , when that engagement ends abruptly, when that planned wedding is cancelled two weeks to the date, when we lose that posh job, or beautiful home; or face opposition and accusations unjustly; we would not understand why these should happen to us.
But with the passage of time , we come to understand and appreciate God's beautiful purpose for our lives.

Faithful is he that calleth . He is the creator of all things; the Master Potter and humans beings are like clay in his hands.
The clay must be flexible in the hands of the Potter. The breaking and moulding process would be shorter and more pleasant to the clay if it yields and submits to the Master's will. The next stage is the "firing" process.
These processes- breaking , moulding and firing , could be very painful or unbearable to the clay, depending on the type of vessel being fashioned by the Potter.The more beautiful the out come , the longer the design process.
The clay should not question the wisdom or intentions of the Master Potter who sees the end from the beginning.Isaiah 45:9.
Every beautiful , gleaming piece of pottery which is presently admired by all, has come a long way . It started as common , plain clay. Dull clay, moulded by expert hands, into exquisite shapes and designs .
Then it was passed through fire , many times over!
Then it became purified and beautiful; fit for the Master's use.
In such lives, beautiful vessels; the changes are very dramatic and pleasant to behold! Evident to all that, indeed, something GOOD has happened in those lives.

Lord , you are the Potter , I am the clay , . Have your way Lord!

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