God the potter
Do you remember when God drew Jeremiah's attention to the potter's wheel? (Jer. 18,2-6)God used the image of the potter and the clay to teach us a powerful lesson. Similar messages using the image of the potter and the clay can be found in Jesaja 45,9. and 64,7 as well as in Römer 9,20-21.
One of my favorite cups, which I often use to drink tea in my office, carries a picture of my family. As I'm looking at her, she reminds me of the story of the talking teacup. The story is told from the teacup in the first person, and explains how she became what her creator was up to.
I wasn't always a nice teacup. Originally I was just a shapeless lump of sodden clay. But someone put me on a disk and started spinning the disk so fast that I felt dizzy. As I turned in circles, he squeezed, squeezed and tore me. I shouted: "Stop!" But I got the answer: “Not yet!”.
Finally he stopped the window and put me in the oven. It got hotter and hotter until I screamed: "Stop!". Again I got the answer “Not yet!” Finally he took me out of the oven and started to apply paint to me. The smoke made me sick, and again I yelled: "Stop!". And once again the answer was: “Not yet!”.
Then he took me out of the oven and after I had cooled down, he put me on the table in front of a mirror. I was surprised! The potter had made something nice out of a worthless clump of clay. We are all clumps of clay, right? By placing us on the potter's wheel of this earth, our Master Potter makes us the new creation that we should be to his will!
Speaking of the hardships of life that we so often seem to encounter, Paul wrote: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are preparing for us an eternal and immeasurable glory, because we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2. Kor. 4,16-17).
Our hope lies in something outside and beyond this present world. We trust in the Word of God; we consider our present afflictions light and temporary compared to what God has in store for us. But these trials are part of the Christian journey. Römer 8,17-18 We read: “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. For I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
In many ways, we share in the sufferings of Christ. Some, of course, suffer martyrdom for their faith. However, most of us share in Christ's sufferings in other ways. Friends may betray us. People often misunderstand us, they don't appreciate us, they don't love us, or they even abuse us. Yet, because we follow Christ, we forgive as he has forgiven us. He sacrificed himself when we were still his enemies. (Röm. 5,10)That is why he calls on us to make a special effort to serve people who mistreat us, do not value us, do not understand us, or do not like us.
Only "because of God's mercy" are we called to be "living sacrifices". (Röm. 12,1)God is actively working within us through the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Christ. (2. Kor. 3,18), something immeasurably better than a lump of soggy clay!
God is active in each of us in action, in all the events and challenges that our lives involve. But beyond the difficulties and trials we encounter, whether they involve health or finances or the loss of a loved one, God is with us. He perfects us, changes us, shapes and shapes us. God will never leave us or miss us. He is with us in all battles.
by Joseph Tkach
