Potter and Clay
Background Verse: Isaiah 64:8- We are the clay, you are the potter; We are the works of you hand. Many people know this verse, and a lot can quote it. When many people think of this verse they think... ?OK all I have to do is just sit down on the wheel and he will mold me,? but, it?s not that simple. When you want to mold clay you don?t just put that clay on the wheel, clay is not automatically ready to be molded. When you first get clay it is hard, dry, it has rocks and dirt in it. You can?t work with that clay; you have to prepare it first. First you have to get the rocks out then you have to get it wet. Well, it is the same with Jesus, first he has to get the sin out of you life. It may hurt and many of those people who seem so willing to get on the wheel will jump off. They aren?t ready to give up what the Lord is trying to pull from them. They will say ? you can mold me like I am, just don?t try to get the rocks out of me, I like my clay as it is, no one else can see them, I have them under control.? The Lord cannot work with people like that just like a potter cannot work with clay until he has got the rocks out. That is the first step and that is where many people stop and they are useless clay so God sets them to the side and starts with those who are willing to give the rocks up. Next, he pours his spirit on you. This is something the majority of Christians want. They want the blessings of God. But, they have tried to skip the first step. They want the blessings of the Lord but they are not willing to give up the rocks and that prevents them from being used of the Lord. Some Christians have come this far, but then the water is poured on them and they stay there they are content with the blessings and just want to stay there. The Lord cannot use them either. Just like a potter cannot mold clay until he takes it out of the water, the Lord cannot use you until after you are out of the water. This is the point when the clay is put on the potters wheel, it is clean and it is moist. Now the clay is almost ready for molding. Now the clay is worked out and made soft. This is another area where many Christians jump up because it is painful. This is where the lord is seeing if you will move like He wants you to. He starts to get you to do things out of you comfort zone. He is preparing your clay for molding. Stubborn stiff clay cannot be used by potters because they need the clay to follow there every move. It is the same with the Lord, He cannot use you if you will not follow his every move. After the clay has gone through this much it is ready to start being molded. Now more water is added and the wheel starts spinning. This is where the lord starts to make the clay into what it will adventually become. The Lord starts to know the personal aspect of this clay and He knows what this clay will be used for. This is another spot where the clay messes up. The potter starts molding it one way and the clay starts thinking it should be molded different and it starts to become stiff again and then the potter has to stop and go back to working the clay until it is soft again. This cycle may happen over and over again. There are the few that pass this point. They are the ones who the Lord starts to mold into beautiful works of art and water is poured on them to keep them moist and they are made into what the Lord want to use them as. Here is another point where some stumble. They come this far but when the Lord want?s to put them into the French and use them they stop. They liked it when the Lord was molding them and they don?t want to do work. The Lord cannot use them because they never go through the furnace and commit themselves to work for Christ. Just like a potter cannot use a clay pot until it has been through the furnace. Now those who pass all of this and come this far are now working for the Lord. Just as clay pots, Christians will get hurt and will get damage. When they are used long enough they will get cracks or holes. This is another stumbling block because many when this happens they do not go back to the father they just sit there and do no work. They cannot be used. Just as cracked pots cannot be used and are set in a corner. Those that come back to the father are taken back upon the wheel and they are repaired, water is poured upon them and their cracks and holes are repaired. The Lord is ready to be the potter He is just waiting for willing people to be the clay. Where are you are you the clay with rocks in it? Are you the clay that is sitting in the water refusing to leave his blessings and be molded? Are you the stiff clay that won?t move with him? Are you the clay that tries to make yourself into a pot? are you the clay that won?t go through the furnace? Are you the clay that has cracks or holes in it? OR are you the clay that is doing mighty works for God by following His direction? Now where do you want to be?? All you have to do is be willing and ready, the Lord is waiting.....