Then 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 the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! Jeremiah 18: 3-6, NKJV
Dear Lord, here we are. Please make us into vessels for Your glory. Amen
We live in a world of broken people. People who became broken while seeking to be made whole. The problem is, they were seeking wholeness in the wrong places. Things do not make us whole. Not even people make us whole. Only God makes people whole. Phil Jackson, in his book, The Sacred Loop, quotes from Mark Epstein’s book, Thinkers Without a Thought, Master Achan Chaa, as he shares his philosophy about one of his favorite glasses, “When I understand that this glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.” Such an understanding of human frailty could keep us from “breaking” each other.
In our promise for today, God, speaking to His children, asks the question: “Can not I take your marred lives and make something beautiful out of them? After trying everything else, why not give Me the opportunity to take Your flawed lives, and like the potter, crumble the clay, and make it over, into a completely new vessel, not only outwardly, but inwardly, as well?
I am sure that many of us have seen, or at the very least, heard, of these “extreme makeovers,” that are so popular these days. Perhaps some have even wished that they could be chosen to get an extreme makeover. Consciously, or unconsciously, most of us believe that there is something that needs improving on us. Some would request a nose change; for others it would be braces for their teeth, still others would want tighter abdomens, and the list could get as long as persons asked. And to everyone who desire these changes, the need is real, whether others agree with them or not.
However, the limitations with most makeovers, regular, or extreme, is that they only take care of the outside of the person. Oftentimes, when we are overly concerned with the outside, it is because there is something lacking on the inside. Our Heavenly Potter, who sees not only what is on the outside, but more so, what is going on in the heart, is in the best position to make the perfect makeover.
In heavenly terms an extreme makeover would include a new heart, pliable enough for God to write His law upon; willing enough to be led in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake; childlike enough to respond positively to His chastenings, and humble enough to be willing to say, “Not my will Lord, but Your will be done.” The next step would be the renewal of a right spirit within us; a meek and quiet spirit that seeks only the glory of God; a restful spirit that is not troubled by the opinion of others; a loving spirit that is willing to put the needs of others before itself; a kind spirit that can rightly represent the kingdom of God!
Now that you know what the heavenly extreme makeover is all about, would you like to surrender as clay in the Potter’s hand? He can make something beautiful out of your life!