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Just a mound of clay in the Potters Hands!

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adult arts and crafts clay dirty

Remember how the school field trips would inspirer you when you were young and inquisitive? There’s one that seems to stand out in my mind. It was when we were taken down along the Snake River to a potter’s house. We were given an extensive tour and explanation of the whole process of digging your own clay from the banks of the river to making of a beautiful finished vase. I can still remember how intriguing it was then and how helpful it has been to me through my life.

This illustration of the potter and clay along with the whole process is played out in many different passages in scripture and has helped me to be acquainted to Gods working in our lives. The scripture says, “We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand”. In the same manner that God fashioned Adam out of the ground He also molds us into His image for our lives. (Gen 2:7, Isa 64:8) On my shelf I have a pitcher that I made from the inspiration of that fieldtrip which is a constant reminder of His molding and shaping of our lives.

We read in Jer. 18:1-9 that even Jeremiah was instructed to go to the potters shed so God could give him understanding on His workings and His will. In verse 3-4, it says, “I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make”. Then he says to the children of Israel through this prophet, “…can I not do with you as this potter”? The master potter personally shapes and creates us as a vessel of honor for His service. Just as the man who showed us young students how he takes a raw lump of clay and begins to work it into his desired and planned shape, so the creator does the same with us.

The raw clay that came from the banks of the river was put into a barrel to soak in water. Then once it softens and becomes pliable it was worked over a screen to eliminate any rocks or hardened materials that would cause a flaw in the finished product. Isaiah describes it as the potter treading the clay. (Isa 45:25) It’s the same in our own lives that we must have times of soaking and being worked to get any deposits in our lives out as not to later bring devastation in us. When Jeremiah went down to watch the potter he describes it in such a way, “there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again.” (Jer 18:4) You see once the hunk of clay is put on the potter’s wheel, he then begins to spin the wheel and balances the mound of clay adding more water at times making it easier to shape. But if there is any small dry areas or pebbles it will put a defect in the shape as it is being worked. Therefore, the potter then remakes it. As Job declares in Job 10:8-9, “You made me like a handcrafted piece of pottery”. It’s a process with the end masterpiece in mind. (Eph 2:10)

The great potter is at work in us and is trustworthy as He shapes and molds us as He sees fit! Why would we ever question the Potter how he has molded the clay. (Rom 9:20-21) We can be at Peace knowing He has our best interests in mind!

I am not some Grasshopper I am a Kings Kid?

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images-4There are only a few things that come to mind when I think about grasshoppers. They’re great bait, they were fun to catch when I was a kid and they make a horrific mess on the windshield. So what on earth would make ten distinguished representatives describe themselves as grasshoppers? There are certain profiles that depict our personalities and compare them to certain animals, but is a grasshopper really something that has any good features to compare us with? I choose to say no!

In the story of God’s children coming out of their bondage and come to the verge of their promised land, we find a very interesting statement that was made. Let’s look at a few passages in this story in Num. 13, 14.

First we are introduced in verse 2 where God tells Moses to have each of the twelve tribes pick out a representative to be a part of an exploration team to the land that God said He had given them. Remember, God had delivered His children from

Don’t “blow it” when finally arrive on the brink of your destination, your God given inheritance as a child of the King, which was divinely hand picked by God.

being abused slaves through demonstrating His power through incredible signs and wonders. God even wipeout the enemy that was pursuing them without even having the Israelites lift a finger. Now they are on the brink of arriving at their destination, a land that was abundantly blessed with God’s goodness! It was their inheritance as His children, which was divinely hand picked by God.

Now after forty days of exploring we read in Num.13:25-33 as they bring back specimens of the new land. The twelve give their report before all the people saying how great the bounty of the land was. But then ten of the twelve began to take a serious noise dive from the positive to a deep negativity spreading their fearful propaganda to all that listened, saying in vs. 30-33 that there was no possible way they could occupy this land of inheritance. They concluded with these words in vs 33, “There we saw the giants …and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” What? They’re calling themselves grasshoppers? If there is ever a bad confession that is it! The sad thing is this isn’t just a bad confession but is evidence of a much deeper problem. It wasn’t just a bad choice of words but was the results of not understanding or knowing who they were!

Jesus says in Luke 6:43-48 that the fruit of our lives come from our heart and specifically says in vs. 45, “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

When you face difficult situations are you quick to declare “you are able” because of your confidence in God or that you’re nothing but a grasshopper?    

Also in verse 46 Jesus brings out that the people He was talking to were speaking words but they weren’t in their hearts, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Solomon says in Prov. 4:23, “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

God had called these people His children (Ex. 3:10, 6:6-8) and confirmed it through fighting for them and showing His power in their behalf many times. Yet, ten of these men evidently were lacking that understanding in their heart. The result was it brought devastation and hindered them from receiving what was theirs.

Where do you stand? When you face difficult situations are you quick to declare like Caleb and Joshua in vs. 30 that “we are well able” because their confidence in God or that you’re nothing but a grasshopper? Do you realize that you’re a child of God (Rom 8:15-17) or just caught up in some sort of empty religion?

I am Not Going To Bow No Matter What!

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images-19The trumpeters and the music began to sound causing the people to immediately scurry to the place before the idol and bow in a fearful submission. These Chaldeans and many foreigners that had been taken in war-conquests fell to their faces out of fear of the king’s command. (Dan 3:4-6) The consequences for those who remained standing would be thrown into the fiery furnace.

The scene was much like the game we grew up playing, “Musical Chairs” that when the music stopped everyone franticly grabs a chair and sits down knowing that there aren’t enough chairs for everyone. The penalty for being left standing was you were cast out of the game. In the same manner, in this historical story in Dan 3, which takes place during the seventy years of God’s people being in captivity, when the music started the people had to stop and drop, giving homage to the king’s idol.

We’re introduced to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. These three young Hebrew boys were growing up in a society polar opposite of their families and culture. It was a strategy of the conquering army to take the best specimen from a

The God of Fire met these mighty and obedient Hebrew boys in the midst of the fire! (tweet)

culture and transform them into the beliefs and customs of the new kingdom. But these three young Hebrew boys where so impacted by their belief in their God and the daily rehearsing of the stories that it firmly grounded them to live a devoted life even in the midst of the one they were now being forced to live.

Therefore it was no surprise when they would not bow to the Kings idol. For they knew their God had said, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Ex 20:3) So in spite of the consequences these young boys made a manly decision to not go along with the knee bending music! Their loyalty was to their God even if it cost them their life. Wow! That’s not easy to do.

The king was so outraged to the point of having the furnace turned up seven times, that it even killed the furnace keepers and the guards that threw the Hebrew boys in the furnace.

The weightiness of their decision, to obey God rather than what everyone else was doing, should shake each of us personally as we live our daily lives. With death sneering at them, they boldly and confidently replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, in Dan 3:16-18 saying, “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning

Because three dared to be devoted to God, not bowing to the pressures of the day. God moved on their behalf    (tweet)

fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods…”. And that’s exactly what happened!

The God of Fire met these mighty and obedient Hebrew boys in the midst of the fire! Even with the added heat these three were alive and well in the midst of the Continue reading →