Faith Journal for July 31, 2007: Simple Ordinary Clay

S: Isaiah 64:8Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter we are all the work in your hand.

O: No matters what has happened, we are still the work of God’s hand.

A: As I sit here this morning, I am aware God is the potter and I am the clay. But there is a funny thing about clay. Sometimes it will take on a life of its own as the potter is shaping the clay on a spinning wheel. When that happens the potter will take the clay off and usually slam the clay on a board or add water and begin to jab the potter’s fingers into the clay and then the potter will begin again and usually the clay will submit to the design of the potter.

The potter chooses the design. The clay does not get to say what it will be. That image seems a lot like myself and other Christians I know. We do well then comes along something that triggers a rebellion in us. The result is always distance from God and we usually break the unity of the church which the Lord always desires. There is another way to make a pot. The potter can make a pot by not using a wheel. It is called a coil pot and this process takes a lot longer.

The potter will roll the clay into lengths of clay. This way the clay is not so free to rebel and seek its own form. Then the potter will take a single strand of clay and lay it in a circle. Then there will be another strand of clay prepared and this strand will be placed on the first coil. The potter then shapes the surrendered clay and smoothes out the lines of the coil so no signs of all the coils of clay can be seen. It takes a long time to make a coil pot and in the end it is not perfect but it is the design of the potter.

My life is a slow process more like the coils of a piece of pottery. I have to have all the rebellion worked out of me, one piece at a time. The process is long and in the end I am the unique work of the potter. I have many rough edges as one coil is laid on me as I am shaped and the potter has to smooth out the rough edges which I must admit is very painful for me. But if I learn, then the next coil works better and I surrender to the will of the potter and this time it is not nearly so painful. In fact, I become used to the potter taking off my rough edges with each new coil. I begin the choose to cooperate with the Lord and it is very good what the Lord makes of my life. I am amazed what the Lord is doing to my heart and I am discovering the purpose for which I am being designed.

P: Father forgive my rebellion when you have to come along and smoothes the rough edges of my life. I know you are not finished with me and hopefully I am learning to trust you more each day. I am grateful for your smoothing out my rough edges because I become more like Jesus and more useable by you. I know I do not deserve what you are making of my life. I was used to being just ordinary clay lying next to a stream of water in the Texas soil, but you claimed me and now you are shaping my life each day. Thank you Love, Dick Wills

Y: I will surrender my rebellion when the Lord smoothes the rough edges in my life.