“But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You the potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand.” Isaiah 64:8
Have you ever watched a sculptor create? What begins as a lump of clay becomes a masterpiece. Starting with raw material, with care and concentration the artist pulls form and structure from the formless lump. General shape begins and then as the artists hands (and heart) warm the clay, it becomes more pliable, and more specific elements are able to emerge. A nose is brought out, eye sockets are pressed in, lips are shaped, ears formed. This all at the sculptor’s hand as his vision of what the clay could be comes to life under his hand and skill. Details are added and eventually what was without form is molded into a masterpiece created by the one who saw the end from the beginning.
I long to be pliable clay, ready to be shaped and molded by the Lord’s hands. My heart’s desire is to be what the Lord created me to be. And yet…
My clay becomes moldy beneath the Potter’s hands when fear of the unknown keeps me tightly in my traditions, comfort zone, or the past way of doing things. I lose a teachable spirit when at any age I say “I have learned it all”. I resist God’s shaping when I insist on my own way, my own vision, or my own control. And what happens? That which He is trying to shape resists and looks more like the original formless lump of clay.
The good news is that God the Artist never gives up. He never walks away and says “That one is never going to amount to anything.” He is the One that even created the clay and knows which gifts, callings, and vision He placed within me. He daily washes me with Living Water making me pliable once again. He cleanses the impurities I have added to my clay by the power of Christ’s blood. He continues to work with me, softening my heart as He wraps me in His unconditional love.
The One who sees our end from the beginning is constantly working to complete the masterpiece beneath His hands. How freeing it is to trust His hand and His vision as I submit to His work each day. Glory to God He’s not done with me yet.