As the Wheel Spins

“But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.” Jeremiah 18:4

Remember the days of modeling clay and play dough? What fun we had, squishing the stuff in our hands to soften, making it more pliable for creating masterpieces. Once we completed the piece but didn’t like the outcome, we would smash it down, squish it up, and start over. But remember what happened if you left your unfinished handiwork exposed to the air or sunlight too long? Yep, it hardened—maybe not entirely, but enough that it was not useable to reshape, and you discarded the work.

God instructed Jeremiah to go to the potter’s shop, and He would speak with him there. Jeremiah found the potter busy working at his wheel. Not satisfied with the jar he was making, the potter smashed the clay back into a lump and started over; the clay was still moldable. As Jeremiah watched the potter, God told him to warn all Judah and Jerusalem; they faced destruction if they refused to turn from their evil ways. The people replied they were satisfied with their way of life and would continue following their evil desires.

God wanted His people to stay moldable in His hands, but they stubbornly chose to expose their lives to evil living. By doing so, their hearts of clay became harder and harder. Because of their disobedience, God scattered them before the enemy, refusing to notice their suffering (v. 17).

As a lump of clay spins on the wheel, the potter must apply consistent, equal pressure within and without the object. This technique is vital in forming and strengthening the vessel, preparing it to survive the fire it must endure for useful service. On days you feel hard-pressed within and without, it may be the “Master Potter” at work as He spins you on life’s wheel, preparing you for the “fires” of life you will face, creating a masterpiece for His service. Stay moldable in His hands—that decision is yours to make by yielding to His Son-light-authority in your life. The danger of stubbornly choosing the world's light and your desires over God’s way paves a pathway to becoming an unprepared, easily broken, unusable pile of clay.