Thursday’s
Awakening
Topic:
Potter
But
the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter
formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?”
declares the Lord. “Like clay
in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.
The process of pottery
God is our potter,
we often hear that term and picture someone at a wheel with clay shaping the
clay. Do we ever look at fine china or a
vase and think about the potter or do we just see the vase? Do we see ourselves
as pottery as we go along our journey of life? Do people see the potter when they see you or do they see marred clay?
When we are going through changes in our
life and we confess that God is our potter and we are his clay, do we
understand how clay becomes a work of art?
There are 8-9
steps to creating pottery; clay preparation, wedging, forming, drying,
leatherhard, greenware, bisque firing, glazing, and glaze firing.
Stage 1 Clay Preparation
Clay preparation
is the process of digging up clay from the earth and finding "clay body" to work
with. God is looking for us, he is digging us up, looking for opportunities to show himself strong
in our lives. He is looking for clay that has a perfect heart towards him (2Chr 16:9), clay that he can shape for his glory. God knew us before we were
formed in our mother’s belly (Jer 1:5).
There are three
major types of clay (earthenware, stoneware, porcelain), some are thin and weak, and some are thick and strong. Some can withstand lower temperatures and
can withstand higher firing temperatures. All clay serves a purpose
as no two pieces are the same. Some are china used for tableware, some are
strong pots used to fill. All are important to the body.
Stage 2 Wedging
In the second
stage, the clay goes through a wedging process. This is a process of kneading
the clay into a ball, this is important as it removes air bubbles. Air bubbles
can cause the object to explode will ruin the entire work of art. God is often
kneading us, rotating us, pressing us to remove those things that will lead to
our demise. Air bubbles are equivalent to sin in our lives. Sin is similar to
the air pockets in clay that expand and burst during the process of becoming
pottery causing the object to explode. Sin swells us up and destroys us, the
wages of sin ultimately lead to death (Rom 6:23).
Stage 3 Forming
After God has
wedged us he begins to form us. This is when the clay makes it to the potter’s wheel
to be shaped in the potters hands. Some of us yield to the potter and allow the
potter to mold and shape us as he pleases. Some of us are resistant, but in the
Potter’s skilled hands he is able to shape and mold even the hardest clay if he
desires.
When the potter is
shaping the clay he opens the clay making the center hollow. God opens us up,
making our center hollow so he can fill us with his spirit. After the clay is
open the potter begins “flooring” this done by creating strong a foundation in
the bottom of the pot. Then the potter begins the process of “throwing” and “trimming”
the clay. Throwing draws up the walls of the clay to shape the pot and “trimming”
removes excess clay from the pot. During the forming stage the clay is pressed,
squeezed and pulled into its shape. When we are in the Potter’s hands we will
be pressed, squeezed and pulled, but we can rest assured, knowing he is
preparing us to be his fine work of art. He is trimming off what we don’t need
and building us strong walls and foundation to stand on his word. We have to
say yes during our forming stage!
Stage 4 Drying
After the potter
forms the clay, the clay must dry. The clay must dry in plastic; if the plastic
is removed it will cause the clay to dry quicker. If the clay dries too quickly
it will crack. Satan sees us in our walk with the Lord; he sees us drying in
plastic and realizes we are weak and will try to remove that plastic hoping we
will crack (1Pet 5:8).When God has formed us, we often will experience
challenges in our walk, that will threaten to crack or break us. When we feel
we are beginning to crack we must hold on to God’s mighty arm and his strong
hand the hands that created us (Psa 89:13).
Stage 5 Leatherhard
When the clay is
leatherhard the clay is partially dried allowing some flexibility to the clay.
This is where the potter can refine the clay/pot by adding decorative elements.
Once the clay is beyond this stage the clay can no longer change shape. During
our leatherhard stage God will birth gifts into us to use for his glory (1 Cor12). Our gifts are those decorative elements that make us special to the body
of Christ.
Stage 6 Greenware
Greenware is when
the clay has completely dried and it can no longer be changed. Greenware is
when we get to the point when we are standing firm on God’s word. We are walking
by faith not by site. When are not swayed when false doctrines are preached
into our hearing. When we are in greenware God hasn’t completed us, but we know
who he is and we believe his word and we are standing firm on his promises.
Stage 7,8,9 Bisque Firing, Glazing, Glaze Firing
Bisque Firing is
when the pottery is subjected to temperatures of 1800 degrees F (Water boils at
212 degrees F). God can trust us when he is ready to place us in the fire. He places
us in the fire because he knows we can handle it. He knows that is the only way
he can truly add his finishing touches on his masterpiece. The purpose of
bisque firing is to allow a beautiful glaze on the sculpted work of art. If the
object does not go through the bisque firing the potter will not be able to
properly glaze the object. God sends us through the fire to bless us, to glaze
us, to beautify us with his glory.
After he glazes us
he puts us under fire again even hotter at 2300 degrees F to ensure the glaze
is permanent. God is burning his blessings into us, ensuring no one can remove his
blessings. Often we have reached a point in our walk with Christ and we fell he
will now allow us to go through anything because we are living for him daily.
Know that God has need of us in the field and it will cause us to go through the
fire only so he can continue to bless us!
God is the Potter
God is the potter,
we are the clay. God is powerful and mighty, just as a potter can create and
recreate a beautiful sculpted work of art; our Father in Heaven can create a
greater work of art. God is mighty and we must stop to recognize is sovereignty.
God is Holy in word and in deed. God is greater than a potter creating china,
vases, or pots. He is the greatest sculptor.
We must not allow
air bubbles to cause us to explode.
We must not become
so dense; we never make it to the potter’s wheel. We don’t want to be as clay
marred in his hands and cause him to create a new pot.
We must allow God
to remove sin, trim people out of our lives, and create a hollow center so he
can fill it with his Holy Spirit. We
must allow him to send us through the bisque firing that we may come out as his
beautiful sculpted work of art.
We Are God’s
creation?
Let go and Let God
Create!
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