God is the Potter
Devotions on Jeremiah 18:1-11
Second Sunday after Pentecost
Monday, God is the Potter
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord” (Jeremiah 18:1).
Keoni was the first born son of Lamar and Karen Gomez. They loved to hear Keoni jabber, but they longed to hear him speak his first coherent word. On rare occasions Karl and Kylie were able to Skype with their mother, who was deployed in Afghanistan. Those were special times for the children, when they were able to hear their mother’s voice and see her face. Stan sat with his phone by his side. He was anxiously waiting for the phone call from his fiancé telling him she had arrived safely at her destination.
We are created for communication and we long to hear words from those we love. We long to hear from the one who created us, too. God does not disappoint us, because God is not silent. God speaks to our hearts and souls—words of love, comfort, encouragement and direction.
Jeremiah’s experience is not an isolated one. It is one that is repeated in the lives of God’s children.
Lord speak. Your children are listening. Amen.
Tuesday, God is the Potter
“So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel” (Jeremiah 18:3).
The potter was working. His hands were dirty; caked with the clay from past creations. The potter had been at work since dawn, and would continue until the setting of the sun. Creating bowls, pitchers and other items of clay, both mundane and sacred, was his calling.
God is a God of creation. Since before the beginning of time, God has been at work—creating. God continues God’s work of creation in the universe, communities and the lives of individuals. God’s work never stops. The acronym PBPGITWMY (Please be patient, God isn’t through with me yet) is true for all of us. Thanks be to God!
Thank you Lord, for you continued work in our lives. Amen.
Wednesday, God is the Potter
“The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him” (Jeremiah 18:4).
Have you ever watched a potter work a lump of clay? It is a beautiful act of creation. From the point of view of the clay, it is brutal. The clay is slammed down on the potter’s wheel. It is pushed, shoved, squeezed and twisted. At times it is smashed down to a mere lump again and the creative process starts over.
I can identify with the clay and I suspect that you can, too. There are those times when we feel smashed to the ground, pushed, shoved squeezed and twisted. None of it is comfortable, and we never see the value of the pain in the middle of the creative process.
If we trust the potter, however, the creative process is not unbearable. In fact, we can rest in the thought that when it is over we will bear the mark of the potter and serve a purpose for which the potter intended. This is true not only for individual followers of Jesus, but for the community of believers, too.
Mold us and shape us Lord to your will and for your glory. Amen.
Thursday, God is the Potter
“Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand” (Jeremiah 18:6).
Israel was going through a period of turmoil. There were threats of war and upheavals in leadership. Such unrest caused crop failures, food shortages, sickness and death. Eventually the Babylonians would lay siege to Jerusalem and the Israelites would lose everything. The temple would be destroyed. Jerusalem would be leveled. The people would be exiled and be separated from what they considered to be the Promised Land. The people could find little in which to place their hope.
The Lord speaks to Jeremiah and gives him the vision of the potter and the lump of clay. The vision gives the Israelites reason to hope. They don’t have any assurance that there will be a happy ending. There is hope, however, in the truth that they are in the potter’s hand. Though their world has fallen apart, they have not been abandoned by God. God was still at work in their lives just as God is still at work in our lives even when our worlds fall apart and our plans become ashes.
Lord, we thank you that we are in your hands. Have your way with us. Amen.
Friday, God is the Potter
“But if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil” (Jeremiah 18:8a).
It is hard to admit that we have made a mistake. We struggle to confess that we have done something wrong. It is easier to make excuses, or to blame someone else than it is to accept our responsibility, confess our guilt and ask for forgiveness.
The people of Israel had wandered far from their God. They had worshiped the idols and false gods of their neighbors. Their temple worship was a sham—hypocritical worship that bore no relationship to the rest of their lives. In an age when survival was top priority, the golden rule was abandoned and ignored. The people did not trust God. They did not rest in God’s love.
Like a betrayed lover, God had approached God’s people and offered a renewed relationship with them—if only they would say they were sorry and turn from their wicked ways. The promise of a relationship was never taken away. If only ….
There are times when we are like the Israelites. We are hard hearted and stiff necked. We know that we have done wrong. Our greatest priority has been ourselves. Others have been hurt. Our relationship with God has been damaged. Still our pride hinders us from changing. If only ….
Lord, we have sinned—done, said and thought what was not pleasing to you. Forgive us. Amen.
Saturday, God is the Potter
“I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it” (Jeremiah 18:8b).
Jason knew his father was stubborn and would not change his mind, but Jason stilltried to persuade him. Jason tried logic and reason. He pointed out that his father’s decision was based on incomplete information and the latest information would only lead to a different and better decision. Jason appealed to his father’s pride and sense of patriotism—to no avail. The decision was made. Even if it was wrong, his father would not change his mind.
We all know people who won’t change their minds no matter what is said or done. God isn’t one of them, though. As amazing as it might seem, God says that God would change God’s mind if the Israelites would change their behavior. Being able to change God’s mind does not make God into a fickle God. No indeed! This characteristic of God makes God caring and approachable.
There is one thing, though, on which God will never change God’s mind. God has made the decision to love us steadfastly and unconditionally. Thankfully, that is one truth that will never change.
Lord, thank you for your steadfast love. Amen.
Sunday, God is the Potter
“And at another moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, but if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it” (Jeremiah 18:9-10).
There was no other way to describe the twins. They were spoiled brats. Allison and Anson were born to Silicone Valley nobility. They not only believed that they were privileged, but that the world revolved around them. Their parents had wealth and power. That power and wealth was used to give the twins whatever they wanted. Both were used both extensively to bail the twins out of whatever trouble they got themselves into.
The Israelites believed they were special people—they were children of God. God had made a covenant with them. They would be God’s people and God would be their God. God would always be present to protect them from their enemies and rescue them from any predicament in which they might find themselves. The Ten Commandments were mere formalities.
If we are honest with ourselves, we must confess that there are times when we think we’re special people. As followers of Jesus we expect God to treat us better than those who don’t acknowledge God as Lord. We anticipate that God will answer our prayers and forgive our foibles.
We are special, but we aren’t privileged. God has poured God’s love into our lives. God’s love is steadfast. At the same time, God has filled us with the Holy Spirit and empowered us to love others with the love we have received. We rejoice that God can change God’s mind when we confess and return to God’s ways. Let us remember that God can also change God’s mind when we become stiffed necked and hard hearted.
Lord, as we strive to live lives of love in response to your love, may you have no need to change your mind. Amen.