In watching an earthenware vessel grow and move in the hands of a master potter it is one of the most transforming and visual experiences you can ever know. The potter’s　total control and skill as he births a vessel from a vision with purpose and destiny into reality. Once created, the vessel begins a journey. We too continue our journey, our personal exodus, an exodus from ourselves, from the world, from religiosity, a journey to our promised land, a journey to the kingdom of God. Has the lord touched you and asked. “Will you grow in my hands” and then as each one of us is totally absorbed in each process of this birthing, we as the vessels have little understanding and often loss heart. You may be in one of those processes now.

Jeremiah 18 says

The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he was making a work on the wheels. And when the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter; he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it; if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings. But they say, It is in vain; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will do every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart

Oh my people will you let me mold and shape your lives. Will you let me pull you up almost to the breaking point and put my color, my design, my destiny within the fibers of your being?

The Lord is the potter and I am the clay and in the same way a master potter’s hands are　trained to intricately understand the feel of the clay. His hand knows how to transform me, it enters the heart of my clay, and it takes out the rocks and the thistles and the thorns. His eyes can see how beautiful I was even though I was just a piece of clay or an old cracked vessel, He had a vision for my life. God, the master potter has a vision for us a destiny for you, before we were even in our mother’s womb, he said I know you, your substance is not hidden from me for you are beautifully and wonderfully made. I saw your unformed substance and I know you all the days of your life and even when you were in your mother’s womb, you were my chosen instrument and yes I have appointed you and I have a calling for you. Today we will talk about the potter, the creator, the master potter.

When you are a potter, you gain an intimacy with the clay, when your hands touch it, every single particle becomes known to you. If there is the smallest particle that does not fit, your hands will know it and you will take out that foreign particle because  you know that though it is very small, that it is a danger to the final creation. You see that small particle will actually explode in the firing ahead. The Lord knows us intimately and he knows where to find us and he knows exactly what needs to be removed to protect us from destroying ourselves.

 Lets start out from the beginning. The search for the clay. The potter must know where the clay is and collect it; God knows exactly where to find the clay and the broken vessels. He walks through the potter’s field looking for those in need of his touch. To find clay you go to fields and river beds and you dig up old rocks that don’t even look like clay. The other resource for the clay is the broken vessels that lie in the potters field the ones that have been thrown away unwanted or unused. These are broken down to be made into something new.

Whatever is used it is taken back to the potter’s house.

The potter will then take the vessel or clay rock and pound it and pound it pulverizing it until it becomes a fine dust. He will then take a screen and sifts it and as it is sifted all the foreign particles, the twigs and glass would come to the surface. Then the dust would be taken and put into large bins, garbage bins are used today, then he pour living water over the dust and it soaks in the water. Even at this point the master potter begins to see what will you will be. Even though you may not recognize it and nobody else may recognize or see its potential value. The Lord knows the clay and what it will become; He knows the color and the temperature at which it will need to be brought to in order to make you what you will be. He knows whether you will be stoneware or porcelain fine china, whether you will be a bowl to wash the sick or a beautiful alabaster vase holding the anointing oil. Even if you can not recognize it in yourself or others, the Lord says I your God recognize the gift within you.

One of the biggest spiritual warfare weapons that has come against the body of Christ is that we are told that we have no purpose “why would God need YOU anyway” Millions of gifted people are lead away from their destined glory.

Now, let’s go back to the bins of clay soaking in the water. Which is the best clay to use. If it were up to us we want to use the clay right away, we want things to happen quickly. But we know that really isn’t the best. You see the clay has to sit for years even hundreds of years for the very best clay, the longer the wait the better. But there is a problem as the clay ages it begins to smell Yes it begins to smell really bad like rotten eggs. But this is the clay that will make the most beautiful creations. Green (new) clay breaks easily when it is put on the potter’s wheel but when the clay has gone through many seasons, summers and winters, the clay breaks down and yields to the potters hand, beautiful eggshell almost transparent vessels can be created with this old stinking clay.

What kind of clay are you? What kind of clay do you want to be?

Now the Lord moves around each bin and decides what clay to use but the clay that smells the worst, the person that has been broken the most, will be given the most joy and is beautiful in His sight. Now he sticks his hand into the bin and scoops the clay he needs, １pound for a cup, 5-7 pounds to make a pitcher or 25 pounds to make a large urn. The clay for the cup, at this time, may be jealous thinking he is only one pound while the urn is 25. We think it is unfair because God has more for one than another. But how do you know that you are not to become the vile that will anoint kings. You don’t see how God sees.

Now God will wedge you squeezing, pushing, and pounding until finally you become a smooth ball of clay. The potters love for the clay continues through all this even though the clay does not recognize it. Have you ever felt that way? That Life is pounding you down well just know that there is a reason there is a purpose in it. After you are pounded he places you on the wheel and adds the living water to you. Now he will begin to center the clay. This is difficult if you are not a good potter, the clay will start flying across the room. But in the hands of the master potters hands move and shape and center the clay taking away your problems. He then gently steadily moves his hand down inside you to the center of the clay. He moves down into the deepest parts of your life deeper than any person has ever been, then he begins to build his foundation；a strong foundation in the word of God. With the foundation set, he begins to pull up the walls. On the outside little seems to change but on the inside the hands begin to shape and move the clay. We cry out and say” Lord, what’s taking you so long. I want others to see what you are doing. The Lord replies “In time child, first I must change the inside” The Lord is placing his finger-tips inside you forming a bond with you deep inside your heart.

Finally you begin to take shape; once the inside is complete the work goes much faster. He begins to finish the vision he has had for you even when you were just a rock before you were crushed When you were nothing but a lump of clay He knew what you would be, he knew the colors you would be glazed, he knew what temperatures you would be fired at, he even knew where you are to be sent. He knew all these things but he never let you in on the secret, oh you might have had glimpses but He never let you know. Your vision didn’t go beyond the crushing stage, the waiting stage, the pounding in the wedging stage. You se if he were to tell you too much in advance. You know what you would probably do, you would probably mess it up. You natural impulse would be to say “Hey, I can help God out and do this or that” but that was not the plan. If he said one way you would say “No Lord, this way is much easier and more practical. If he told you where you were to go, before you even knew what final shape you were to become, you would be complaining. Read the book of Jonah. He was a Jar that was to carry the Lord’s living water, his word, to the people of Nineveh but he was not yet finished he still needed some shelf time and some firing. When the Lord sent him to Nineveh he cried out “No Lord, I hate those people” But the Lord made Jonah into something that would reflect his image and the people of Nineveh turned to God. Your life is cloaked in mystery to create a dependency, only he can lead you, only He has a complete vision.

Our time on the potter’s wheel is a time of great blessing. It is a time that we a being molded and shaped directly by God, his finger inside our hearts, removing all debris removing all of our rough edges. From the shelves around the room, the vessels sitting there looking at you almost with a jealousy because of your intimacy with God on the wheel. Yes, it is a struggle, Yes it does cause you pain as He molds you and makes you. They remember this time of anointing and blessing. You may not this so at the moment but they will tell you. This is the stage the Lord prophesying living word into that clay that is you. He says I know you and what you will become.

Enjoy this time, enjoy your time on the potters wheel, You may be saying to yourself “I want to be on the shelf to with all the others. Don’t worry you will get your chance but first there is more work to be done in shaping you. Enjoy His strength; enjoy each caress, each droplet of living water feed to you. You will get your time on the shelf but you too will then in time be jealous of the vessel on the potter’s wheel.