The Potter's House

In Jeremiah 18, God tells Jeremiah to go to the Potter’s house so he can teach him a lesson. I guess this might have been one of the first “field trips”. When he got to the Potter’s house the Lord asked him to observe the work that the potter was doing. Being a good student, Jeremiah noticed that when the potter made a pot that wasn’t just right, he took the same clay and started over and made a new pot. Then God’s message came to Jeremiah! “Can’t I do just as this potter does?” God told Jeremiah! Just as the potter worked on the clay, I work on my people.”

This scripture gives me great hope because it is saying, even though I might have really messed up He has a plan to make me new! He doesn’t just toss us into the garbage, He recycles! His plan is to make a new vessel, even better than the one I was before. Different, maybe than I was before but of God’s design this time.

I have never been actual piece of clay before, but I can imagine this process might be a little painful! The potter tears down what he has, and starts over. This is what God was telling Jeremiah about Israel, He would continue to work on His people until they were without blemish! No matter how painful the process was.

Sometimes as mother’s of all ages, we think that we have failed! I know some mothers who grieve because they were not Christians when they were raising their children and so they failed to introduce these dear ones to the Lord. There are young mommys who say I had a terrible day with my toddler, I must be a failure as a mom. As you watch your “prodigal” leave your home you might wonder where you went wrong. Did I not pray enough? But this same God who taught Jeremiah a lesson in the potter’s house wants to meet with you too! He wants to explain that God has shaped you into a new mom who is ready to minister to your children, no matter how old they are. He wants to give young moms the patience to work through these “terrible twos” as the Godly mom he created you to be. He wants to shape your prayers and your life to draw your prodigal back to the Lord! He wants to take who we are and make us better!

Jeremiah 18:1-6

God told Jeremiah, "Up on your feet! Go to the potter's house. When you get there, I'll tell you what I have to say." So I went to the potter's house, and sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot. Then God's Message came to me: "Can't I do just as this potter does, people of Israel?" God's Decree! "Watch this potter. In the same way that this potter works his clay, I work on you, people of Israel.