“But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay; and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” (Isaiah 64:8KJV)

           In this verse the prophet Isaiah prays to God, acknowledging His supreme authority and grace.  This scripture illustrates the relationship between God as the creator and humans as His creation.  It shows how God has created us all with loving care.

           By calling God “Father” and the “potter” the verse recognizes God’s right to create, shape, mold, and guide our lives.  This illustration of a potter shaping clay to form it into a beautiful creation reveals we are the clay.  Just as clay is shaped by the potter, we as individuals are being formed and shaped by God with specific purpose and care.  

           My mother used to say to me—for life was hard at times, “God is working and shaping you into the most beautiful vessel.  He just isn’t done with you yet.  That is why life is hard at times.  He is still molding and shaping you.”  

           But sometimes, being molded and shaped into a beautiful vessel is hard, messy, painful and uncomfortable.  A potter cannot shape clay without applying firm, steady pressure.  In life, that pressure often feels like trials, loss, or difficult seasons.

           So, if you are going through a tough time right now, remember you are unfinished, but you are not abandoned.  The Potter will not walk away from the wheel until His work is completed. God is with you always—through the good, the bad, and the ugly.  God is there working in and through you to form a beautiful vessel.  God Bless.  Amen.

denise