Re-formation

 

But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

—Jeremiah 18:4

Please look carefully at the photograph that begins this blog post. Notice the strength, skill, delicacy, and purposefulness that flows from the hands of the potter.

The potter must feel free when creating this art to know that if the pot comes out wrong, the potter can re-form it by simply adding a little water and starting over. However, the time to reshape and change the final look of the object does have a limit. Once the pot’s clay hardens, re-forming the pot becomes almost impossible.

The Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah used the image of the potter and the clay that God gave the potter from the ground as a narrative to warn the nation of Israel about the danger prescribed by their hardened and rebellious hearts. The Lord literally cried out to His people to allow Him to re-form them as He pleased, in order to make them a nation He could use for His glory.

If you use your English dictionary to look up the meaning of the word “reform,” you will find descriptive words like:

“…to amend or improve by removal of faults; to put an end to an evil by enforcing or introducing a better course of action; to form again.”

How does a potter take a clay object and re-form it? First, and most importantly, the clay must remain soft and pliable. To correct the flaws in a piece of pottery, the potter can rub out the mistakes. The potter can even change the object for a use other than the use the potter first intended. This formation takes place within the potter’s hands. But, to truly form clay into something wholly worthwhile, it most often takes an artistic and a creative touch by someone who takes special care.

If the clay pot hardens before the process has finished, the potter can no longer re-form it. Instead the potter has to break it into pieces and begin again with a new slab of workable clay.

Similarly, the Prophet Jeremiah knew the hardness of the hearts of the people. In Chapter 19 of the book that bears Jeremiah’s name, the Lord tells him to use as an illustration a new clay jar. God instructs Jeremiah to break it into pieces while the people watch. And then, warn them that He will smash the nation of Israel in such a way that it can’t be repaired.

As followers of Jesus, God serves the role of our Potter. We become the clay in His creative and artistic hand. If we allow Him to hold us lovingly in His hands and to mold us into whatever shape He desires, God can more readily use us for His divine purposes.

But, in contrast, if we allow our hearts to harden and if we turn away from the Potter, He can only use us if He first breaks us. How much more easily the course of our lives will go, if we willingly allow the re-forming process by our Potter, the Great Artist.

I am reminded of the words to the hymn, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” by Adelaide Pollard. ¹

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter; I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

As you consider these thoughts I’ve shared, I invite you to please pray this prayer with me:

Heavenly Potter, please mold us into the people You wish us to become. Re-form those of us who have pliable hearts and make us into useful vessels. Re-form our gifts and our energies for Your glory. Re-form our churches, our desires, and our plans. Help us to allow You the freedom to form us anew, according to Your good purpose and grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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1 Pollard, Adelaide. “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.” A hymn in the Public Domain.