I love pottery! I have even considered taking pottery classes. What draws me? Clay is an ugly, colorless, useless lump that is taken, and with time, made into a beautiful piece of artwork. Isn’t that how we are?
Isaiah 64:8 says, “…O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.”
Think about pottery. You order a bag of clay. (Told you I have considered it.) That bag of clay is going to be just clay until you do something with it. You can’t order a bag of clay, leave it lay around and one day it turns into a piece of pottery. No. There is a process to get a beautiful piece of pottery.
The bag has to be opened up. The clay has to be scooped out, put on a wheel, spun, molded, unwanted parts cut away and the piece has to be kept moist the entire time. Once the piece is created it has to be fired to 1700 -1900°F to strengthen it for glazing. After the first firing the piece can then be glazed. A second firing is required after glazing. This second firing is referred to as heating to maturity. The piece is then complete and can be used to the intent it was created. Is it no wonder God used clay to describe us.
We need to be formed, spun, molded and constantly watered for us to be ready for God’s service. We too need to be put through fire to make us sturdy. Finally, like the potter decorates us with the gifts He has for us. Throughout our lives we are continually facing different fires that mature us. It is at this point we have become the beautiful pottery piece He created.
I encourage you to meditate on this scripture. Are you at a place in your life that you need a little bit more firing to help sturdy you? There is a reason we are referred to as clay. May we always allow our Father to mold and make us into what He needs us to be.