Hope in God's Hands: The Potter and the Clay

Summary

### Summary

Hallelujah! Today, we delve into the theme of hope, a much-needed virtue in our world filled with conflict and division. Drawing from the book of Jeremiah, we explore the profound image of God as the potter and us as the clay. Jeremiah 18:1-6 paints a vivid picture of the potter working at his wheel, reworking a spoiled vessel into something new and useful. This imagery reminds us that, despite our imperfections and mistakes, God continually works on us, reshaping and reforming us into vessels of honor.

The potter's process is not just about creating something beautiful but also something practical and purposeful. In Jeremiah's time, pots were essential for daily life, not mere decorations. Similarly, God shapes us to be useful in His kingdom, to carry out His purposes. This process can be painful, involving crushing and pressing, but it is ultimately hopeful. God never discards the clay; He reworks it, ensuring that nothing is wasted.

Being moldable and teachable is crucial in our walk with God. An unteachable spirit hinders growth and usefulness. We must remain open to God's shaping, even if it means breaking down our cherished traditions and starting anew. This willingness to be reshaped is a testament to our trust in God's infinite wisdom and patience.

God's creative work in us is not just about aesthetics but also about ethics—creating something good and beautiful that inspires goodness in others. As God's masterpieces, we are called to do good works, reflecting His beauty and purpose in our lives. This process of being shaped and reshaped by God is ongoing, requiring our surrender and trust in His hands.

In times of trial and challenge, remember that God is at work, laboring over us to make us vessels of honor. Even when we go through the fire, God is refining us, removing impurities, and preparing us for greater purposes. Our hope lies in knowing that God is always creating, always working, and always reworking us into the masterpieces He envisions.

### Key Takeaways

1. God as the Potter: The image of God as the potter and us as the clay illustrates His ongoing work in our lives. Despite our imperfections, God continually reshapes and reforms us, ensuring that nothing is wasted. This process is a testament to His patience and infinite wisdom. [01:31]

2. Purposeful Creation: Just as pots in Jeremiah's time were essential and practical, God shapes us to be useful in His kingdom. Our lives are meant to carry out His purposes, not just to be decorative. This involves being moldable and teachable, allowing God to work through us for His glory. [05:40]

3. The Painful Process of Refinement: The process of being shaped by God can be painful, involving crushing and pressing. However, this is necessary for removing impurities and making us vessels of honor. Our hope lies in knowing that God is at work, even in our trials, refining us for greater purposes. [12:30]

4. Ethics and Aesthetics: God's creative work in us is not just about beauty but also about goodness. As His masterpieces, we are called to do good works that reflect His beauty and inspire goodness in others. This intertwining of ethics and aesthetics highlights the holistic nature of God's work in our lives. [20:46]

5. Surrender and Trust: Being in God's hands requires our surrender and trust. We must allow Him to shape and reshape us, even if it means breaking down our cherished traditions and starting anew. This willingness to be reshaped is a testament to our faith in God's infinite wisdom and patience. [27:40]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[01:31] - God as the Potter
[02:53] - The Test Card and the Potter's Wheel
[04:21] - Practical Pots in Jeremiah's Time
[05:40] - Imperfections and Reworking
[07:11] - The Labor of the Potter
[08:35] - Being Moldable and Teachable
[09:55] - The Danger of Unteachability
[10:57] - The Need for Reshaping
[12:30] - The Painful Process of Refinement
[13:57] - Hope in the Crushing and Pressing
[15:12] - A Glorious Finish
[16:45] - Determination in Trials
[18:14] - God as the Creative Potter
[19:35] - Beauty and Purpose
[20:46] - Ethics and Aesthetics
[22:12] - Inspiration and Goodness
[23:21] - Useful Artistry
[24:39] - Practical Use of Pots
[25:57] - God's Masterpiece and Purpose
[27:40] - Surrender and Trust
[29:21] - Response Song

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Jeremiah 18:1-6: "The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 'Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.' So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me: 'O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.'"

#### Observation Questions
1. What does the imagery of the potter and the clay in Jeremiah 18:1-6 represent about God's relationship with His people? [01:31]
2. According to the sermon, what are the practical purposes of pots in Jeremiah's time, and how does this relate to our usefulness in God's kingdom? [04:21]
3. What does the process of the potter reworking the clay signify about God's patience and willingness to reshape us despite our imperfections? [05:40]
4. How does the sermon describe the painful process of refinement, and what is its ultimate purpose? [12:30]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the image of God as the potter and us as the clay challenge our understanding of God's role in our lives and our response to His shaping? [01:31]
2. In what ways does being moldable and teachable impact our spiritual growth and usefulness in God's kingdom? [08:35]
3. How can the painful process of refinement be seen as an act of hope and love from God? [12:30]
4. What does the intertwining of ethics and aesthetics in God's creative work suggest about the nature of our good works and their impact on others? [20:46]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt God was reshaping you. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? How can you remain open to God's shaping in the future? [05:40]
2. Are there areas in your life where you have been unteachable or resistant to change? How can you cultivate a more moldable and teachable spirit? [08:35]
3. Think about a recent trial or challenge you faced. How can you see God's hand at work in refining you through that experience? [12:30]
4. How can you balance the beauty and goodness in your actions to reflect God's work in your life? Give a specific example of how you can inspire goodness in others this week. [20:46]
5. What cherished traditions or habits might God be calling you to let go of in order to be reshaped for His purposes? How can you surrender these to Him? [10:57]
6. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to trust God's process of shaping and refining. What steps can you take to surrender this area to Him? [27:40]
7. How can you practically live out the purpose God has for you as a vessel of honor in your daily life? What specific actions can you take this week to fulfill this purpose? [25:57]

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Ongoing Work in Our Lives
God as the Potter: The image of God as the potter and us as the clay illustrates His ongoing work in our lives. Despite our imperfections, God continually reshapes and reforms us, ensuring that nothing is wasted. This process is a testament to His patience and infinite wisdom. [01:31]

Jeremiah 18:1-6 provides a powerful image of God as the potter and us as the clay. This metaphor highlights God's continuous work in our lives, reshaping and reforming us despite our flaws and mistakes. Just as a potter does not discard the clay but reworks it into something new and useful, God does not give up on us. Instead, He patiently and wisely molds us into vessels of honor, ensuring that every part of our lives, even our failures, is used for His purpose.

This process of being shaped by God is not always easy. It can involve breaking down our old selves and starting anew, which can be painful. However, it is a hopeful process because it assures us that God is always at work in us, never discarding us but continually refining us. This ongoing transformation is a testament to God's infinite wisdom and patience, reminding us that we are always in His hands, being shaped into the masterpieces He envisions.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 (ESV): "The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 'Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.' So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me: 'O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.'"

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel like a "spoiled vessel"? How can you invite God to reshape and reform you in these areas today?

Day 2: Created for Purpose
Purposeful Creation: Just as pots in Jeremiah's time were essential and practical, God shapes us to be useful in His kingdom. Our lives are meant to carry out His purposes, not just to be decorative. This involves being moldable and teachable, allowing God to work through us for His glory. [05:40]

In Jeremiah's time, pots were not just decorative items but essential tools for daily life. They were used for storing water, cooking food, and other practical purposes. Similarly, God shapes us to be useful in His kingdom, not just to be admired for our beauty. Our lives are meant to carry out His purposes, and this requires us to be moldable and teachable. When we allow God to work through us, we become vessels that carry His glory and serve His kingdom in practical ways.

Being moldable and teachable means being open to God's shaping, even when it involves breaking down our cherished traditions and starting anew. It requires humility and a willingness to learn and grow. When we resist God's shaping, we hinder our growth and usefulness in His kingdom. But when we surrender to His hands, we become instruments of His purpose, reflecting His glory in our daily lives.

2 Timothy 2:20-21 (ESV): "Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to be more moldable and teachable? How can you allow God to shape you in this area for His purposes?

Day 3: Embracing the Refinement Process
The Painful Process of Refinement: The process of being shaped by God can be painful, involving crushing and pressing. However, this is necessary for removing impurities and making us vessels of honor. Our hope lies in knowing that God is at work, even in our trials, refining us for greater purposes. [12:30]

The process of being shaped by God is not always comfortable. It can involve crushing and pressing, which are necessary for removing impurities and making us vessels of honor. Just as a potter must sometimes break down a spoiled vessel to create something new and useful, God may allow us to go through trials and challenges to refine us. These painful experiences are part of His process of shaping us into the people He wants us to be.

Our hope in these times of trial lies in knowing that God is at work. He is not abandoning us but refining us for greater purposes. The crushing and pressing we experience are not meant to destroy us but to remove the impurities that hinder our growth and usefulness. As we go through these refining processes, we can trust that God is preparing us for greater things, making us vessels of honor that reflect His glory.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (ESV): "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Reflection: Think of a recent trial or challenge you have faced. How can you see God's refining work in that situation? What impurities might He be removing from your life?

Day 4: Reflecting God’s Goodness
Ethics and Aesthetics: God's creative work in us is not just about beauty but also about goodness. As His masterpieces, we are called to do good works that reflect His beauty and inspire goodness in others. This intertwining of ethics and aesthetics highlights the holistic nature of God's work in our lives. [20:46]

God's work in our lives is not just about making us beautiful but also about making us good. As His masterpieces, we are called to reflect His beauty and inspire goodness in others through our actions. This intertwining of ethics and aesthetics highlights the holistic nature of God's work in us. He is not just interested in our outward appearance but also in our inner character. Our good works are a reflection of His beauty and purpose in our lives.

When we allow God to shape us, we become vessels that not only look beautiful but also do good. Our actions should reflect the goodness of God and inspire others to do the same. This means living lives of integrity, kindness, and compassion, showing the world the beauty of God's character through our actions. As we do good works, we reflect God's beauty and purpose, inspiring others to seek Him and His goodness.

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV): "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Reflection: What is one good work you can do today to reflect God's beauty and inspire goodness in others? How can you make this a regular part of your life?

Day 5: Surrendering to God’s Hands
Surrender and Trust: Being in God's hands requires our surrender and trust. We must allow Him to shape and reshape us, even if it means breaking down our cherished traditions and starting anew. This willingness to be reshaped is a testament to our faith in God's infinite wisdom and patience. [27:40]

Being in God's hands requires us to surrender and trust Him completely. This means allowing Him to shape and reshape us, even if it involves breaking down our cherished traditions and starting anew. Surrendering to God is not always easy, but it is a testament to our faith in His infinite wisdom and patience. When we trust God, we acknowledge that He knows what is best for us and that His plans are greater than our own.

This willingness to be reshaped by God is crucial in our walk with Him. It requires humility and a recognition that we do not have all the answers. When we surrender to God's hands, we open ourselves to His transformative work, allowing Him to mold us into the people He wants us to be. This process may be challenging, but it is ultimately for our good and His glory.

Isaiah 64:8 (ESV): "But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to God? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?

Quotes

1. "So the truth is, like Israel, like God's people, we are all clay in the hands of the potter. And now we know, of course, this illustration is of God as the potter and us as clay. And to be in God's hands, to be worked and reworked, and not have our lives wasted, to keep using that same piece of clay, that for me is the message of hope in this. What hope we have when we know that God is at work. All of our imperfections, despite all of our mistakes, there is always this offer of forgiveness. There's always this opportunity to start over again. There is always this opportunity to change our ways. We are still the same clay, but we have a chance to be worked and reworked by God." [06:30] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "And you know, I love the fact that pots are useful. Pots are useful. They have a purpose. And we know that God is working on us. So as we saw from that little clip there, the potter working on the clay, God is at work in us, but he's working on us. And he's producing something, something that's of use, something that has purpose. Now, we see in this passage that this pot has an imperfection. And when an imperfection is found, what the potter would do is he'd compress the clay, and he'd compress the clay, put it back on the wheel, and start all over again." [05:40] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Now, it is painful. Crushing and pressing is not easy. It is painful. But ultimately, there is hope. There is hope that one day the pot will go through the fire, and it will not be marred. There will be no impurity. There will be no flaw. It will be, as Paul describes, the vessel of honor. It will be exactly what it is supposed to be. And that is the hope. You may have gone through moments when you feel like you're being reshaped and reformed, and that's painful. You may have gone through the moments where you think you've got something that looks great and looks good, but needs to be crushed and pressed and started again. God is at work." [12:30] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "And you know what I love about a vessel? It can be filled up. He's going to pour out his oil of anointing on us. Praise God. In a new way and a fresh way, there is going to be breakthrough. And he's going to move you from where you are to where he wants you to be and where he needs you to be. And you may not always like it and you may not like the steps to take you there, but God is with you. God is with you and he is moving in you. All you have to do is let him do the work. All you have to do is remember that God is the potter. Let God create the masterpiece that he has always wanted to create in you." [18:14] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "So maybe right now, and maybe if you're going through a trial, I just want to encourage you to read. It's not always good to read the mind of prophets if you're wrong, because many of them did. Just those verses. This is what God's doing. He is producing a glorious finish. I don't know, the enemy may have launched an assault on you. Every word might seem to be against you. Every word might seem to be a discouragement. It might seem to be a word of defeat. And when we have those moments, maybe we want to just act out a little bit and maybe shake our fists a little bit. there's a part of you, I know there's a part of you, I've seen it in many of you, that goes, no, I am determined. Now in this moment, I am determined. I am determined. I am determined of fire and trial more than ever to serve God." [16:45] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "And if God is present in your life, God is always creating. God is a creator God. We know that. He's a recreator God. He is working, and he is reworking in you. So at times, this might mean we need to allow ourselves and even some of our precious traditions to actually be broken. So if a potter finds a flaw, finds some impurity, they're going to work it out of the clay. And as the clay forms, they're going to keep reworking it. But sometimes, even if it's gone in the fire and in the kiln, and the potter takes it out, and it doesn't look quite right, there are some options. He might just throw it away. He might just declare this is a faulty good. He might just say, we'll put this on the second shelf. We'll sell it cheaper. But actually, I think God does something else." [12:30] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "But to be in God's hands means that even when we think we found something good, we know that there's always an opportunity to be reshaped, always an opportunity to be reformed. And if God is present in your life, God is always creating. God is a creator God. We know that. He's a recreator God. He is working, and he is reworking in you. So at times, this might mean we need to allow ourselves and even some of our precious traditions to actually be broken." [10:57] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "And you know, this is not a decorative pot that's going to go on a shelf, just to stay on a shelf. As actually Molly's word this morning says, we are pots with a purpose. We have to be out there doing something. And this morning, I want to talk about that as well this morning a little bit. But you know, I love the fact that pots are useful. Pots are useful. They have a purpose. And we know that God is working on us. So as we saw from that little clip there, the potter working on the clay, God is at work in us, but he's working on us. And he's producing something, something that's of use, something that has purpose." [05:40] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "And sometimes God needs to come in and break things. But the truth is, even when it's crushed, even when it's pressed, you can mix it with water, and you can start all over again. And even then, God may find more impurities, but he'll keep removing them. He'll keep working, and he'll keep reworking. Now, it is painful. Crushing and pressing is not easy. It is painful. But ultimately, there is hope. There is hope that one day the pot will go through the fire, and it will not be marred. There will be no impurity. There will be no flaw. It will be, as Paul describes, the vessel of honor. It will be exactly what it is supposed to be. And that is the hope." [12:30] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "And you know, I love the fact that pots are useful. Pots are useful. They have a purpose. And we know that God is working on us. So as we saw from that little clip there, the potter working on the clay, God is at work in us, but he's working on us. And he's producing something, something that's of use, something that has purpose. Now, we see in this passage that this pot has an imperfection. And when an imperfection is found, what the potter would do is he'd compress the clay, and he'd compress the clay, put it back on the wheel, and start all over again." [05:40] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Hope in God's Hands: The Potter and the Clay

Summary

Study Guide

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Hope in God's Hands: The Potter and the Clay