Simple Clay, Skilled Potter

Found in the dirt

Unpleasant on its own

Not knowing which form to take

Stubborn

Clingy

Anything less than wonderful

Clay...

Moldable

Dirt turned to Beauty

An unpleasant sight to a strong shelter

Clay. The definition of clay is, "A stiff, sticky fine-grained earth, typically yellow, red, or bluish gray in color and often forming an impermeable layer in the soil. It can be molded when wet, and is dried and baked to make bricks, pottery, and ceramics."

I think most, if not all of us can imagine that. Imagine what clay looks like, feels like. Imagine it, being found in the dirt, and being removed from it. Not only is it removed, but it is used for a greater purpose than just sitting the dirt of the earth. It's used to create beauty. It's used to create shelter. Something so simple, dirty, messy, used for greater things. Nothing turned into something. Trained hands guiding and shaping it into what it is meant to be in the artist's eyes. Now that we have that image of clay in our minds, how does it apply?

"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins. Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." -Isaiah 64:6-8

Having this image of clay in our minds allows us to understand this verse a little bit more. We are the clay. After how I just described clay, I'm sure it sounded less than pleasant, and something you don't want to be called. But you are. It's true. We were found in dirt, in our sin. Seen in the muck and the mire, saved from it. We are dirty. But His scarlet blood, washes over our scarlet sins, and makes us white as snow. Realizing we are the clay, or the book, or the painting and that He is the Potter, Author, and Artist. When we realize that, we are humbled that He thought of us, He thought of you, of me, to be His beautiful creation, His artwork. We are the clay, He is the Potter. Without Him, we are left in the dirt, not going to be used for all we could be, and just a useless lump of clay. But with Him, we are guided, strengthened, pressed, pushed to be all we can be, we are used to be more than clay. We are part of His story, the greatest story. We are being shaped by His hands, daily. He created you for more. He found you in the dirt, but He won't leave you there. He will slowly, but surely, shape you, guide you, and create you into all He sees in you. He'll use all of you, even the dirtiest parts, because it is all of you that creates His finished masterpiece. We might be put through fire, but our Potter knows that it will only make us stronger, and will allow His work to make a lasting change. A permanent change. We are simple clay with a very skilled Potter.