Have you ever watched a potter make a clay vessel? To me it is one of the most fascinating things to watch as he shapes the clay with his hands - sometimes over and over on the potter's wheel.
Let's talk about the potter’s wheel for a bit... It consisted of two wheels, one large wheel and one small wheel. The wheels were on a vertical axis and they were connected by a wooden rod. The large wheel was on the bottom and the small wheel was on the top. The large wheel was turned by the feet that would in turn spin the upper wheel.
To us this wheel represents the circumstances of life that are used by God to the mold the believer, but in order for there to be a work on the wheel there was some things the potter had to have before he could mold us.
Clay is basically useless when it is dug out of the ground. It is shapeless, has no purpose, no beauty, it is no good and is of basically no good to anyone.
This is a picture of us when we were in our depraved state. We were sinners and a like a piece clay we were shapeless and had no purpose. There was no beauty in our life. But the potter put us on the wheel and we became a work on the wheels and the circumstances of life started us spinning
We didn’t end up on the potter’s wheel by mistake. There is a motive behind everything the potter is doing. When he is forming that vessel he already has something in mind as to his will for us. He knows what kind of vessel he wants to make. A potter doesn’t sit down to make a vase and by chance make a bowl.
“For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:29 NLT
There is a perfect Will of God for each and everyone of us but it is up to us to find it.
The wheel begins to spin starting to work. The ugly piece of clay is on the wheel. The potter has kneaded it out like dough so he could have something to work with. He got some water just in case the clay gets a little dry or to hot. It doesn’t have any form. It’s just laying there helpless. It can't stand on it’s on.
The potter begins to apply a little friction causing the clay to stand upright giving it a little power to stand on its own. He then applies some pressure. This pressure was applied to get out some the small stones and burrs out that cause imperfections. Then the potter trims the clay. He cuts all of the excess away
Finally, he uses the heat to purify his work. He puts it in a kiln and covers it up. Nobody can see what is going on inside that kiln and it is hot and that vessel is being tried and tempered to see if is worthy to be used as a vessel of honor.
There has been many vessels gone in but some of them came out bent or broke and couldn’t be used. But this time the potter pulls the vessel out of the kiln and to his delight he sees that piece of clay that was without shape and it was ugly and useless now it shape and is beautiful.
But he wants to see if it is useful. So he takes it and gives it the ultimate test. He pours oil in it.
Oil represents the Holy Spirit and if the vessel can hold the oil it is a vessel of honor.
The question for you right now is this. Have you become a broken or bent vessel? Are you unable to hold oil anymore?
If you hesitate or question yourself at these questions - do yourself, do your church and more than anything do God a favor and come back to the potter and let him put you back on the potter's wheel to become everything that God intends for you to be.
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