The Potter's House

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.

In Jeremiah chapter 18, we get a glimpse of what God is like.  The prophet put it in human terms, words we can all understand.

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel.  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 18.1-4)

If you've ever seen a skilled craftsman making pottery, it is a beauty to behold.  The lifeless lump of clay starts moving with the spinning of the wheel, and as the potter lovingly caresses it, it takes shape.  The motion of the wheel and transformation from a useless lump into a useful pot makes it seem like the clay comes alive.  There are times when the clay appears to have a mind of its own--as the artist's hands build up the sides into thinner walls, the walls might topple over.  This might have been the "flaw" that Jeremiah described as he watched the potter shape his vessel.

But instead of giving up, the potter regrouped, and made a different vessel.  Maybe this one had thicker sides, or was lower to the base.  But the point is that the potter was making the decision on how best to use this lump.  He did not ask, "Clay, what do you want me to make of you?"  He did not wait for the clay to say, "Potter, I really want to be a flower vase."

This is what God is like.  He calls the shots.

Then the word of the Lord came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the Lord.  "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand." (Jeremiah 18.5-6)

Again, Jeremiah uses words that we humans can understand.  I truly believe it is impossible to describe God in human terms.  But since that is our base of operations, our limitation, then God is described in ways that we might describe an Artist, or a Warrior, or a General, or a Father. In this case, in describing God's sovereignty, Jeremiah says He has a right to change His mind.  We know, however, that God is unchanging--He cannot be moved.  He is forever, and forever His word stands.  He is faithful to Himself always.  So how can He change His mind?

If at any time I announce that a nation or a kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.  And if at another time I announce that a nation or a kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. (Jeremiah 18.7-10)

This is the mystery of Free Will given to man versus the Sovereign Will of Almighty God.  God may give some people a promise to destroy them, like He did with the city of Ninevah in the days of Jonah.  But if, like Ninevah, that city repents, then God will not destroy them.  You might say that this was His will all along; in this case, He threatened destruction (which is what they deserved) in order to get them to change.  In the same way, God may reveal His plan to bless His people Israel; but if the people sin (like He knew they would), then He will rain destruction down upon them.

Jeremiah was given a message to the people of Judah.  The prophet trusted God completely, so I'll bet He believed every word.  But God knew how the people would respond, even before He sent the message.

Now say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, "This is what the Lord says: 'Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you.  So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.'  But they will reply, 'It's no use. We will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his evil heart'."

God was giving them a chance.  He had His plan to punish them, but He wanted to given them every opportunity to repent.  If they had turned from their wicked ways, God would have turned from His plan to punish them.  But because God is omniscient, He knew before Jeremiah gave the message that they would give up on God.  I work in insurance; we make predictions of frequency and duration of claims so we can set premiums; we make predictions of what a certain claim will cost, so we can set appropriate reserves to pay that claim.  A meteorologist makes predictions of weather patterns; a stock broker makes predictions of future costs of commodities.  You may make predictions in your vocation, as well.  But we all have one thing in common: our predictions are not infallible.   We can be surprised.  We can be mistaken.  Our predictions may be way off sometimes.  That is the difference between us and God: He never makes mistakes.  What He predicts will, in fact, happen.  You can count on it.

You may have had low times in your life where you just give up.  You may throw your hands in the air and say, "It's no use."  You may think, "I can't change.  I'm too set in my ways."  Or you may not think that change is worth it for you.  Isaiah 57.10 describes people who are so set in their sinful ways that they refuse to change.  "You were wearied by all your ways, but you would not say, 'It is hopeless.'  You found renewal of your strength and so you did not faint."  Somehow, you found strength to plod on through the hopeless fog; amazingly, you were determined to slog on through mud and muck even if you sink to your ankles with every step.  God is watching, shaking His head at you.  Does He not promise blessing if you repent?  Re-read Jeremiah 18.7-8 again.  Does He not promise to avert His judgment on you? 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29.11)

God knows your heart.  He knows you better than you know yourself.  You may not have thought yesterday that you would give your heart to Him today; but if you do, He will give you a hope and a future. He will change your destiny from hell to heaven; he might even work things out so that you avoid the absolute mess you were heading for before you called out to Him. When He gives you a choice to follow Him, do not say, "It is hopeless."  That is a lie.  He is the creator and sustainer of hope.  Let Him show you.  Let Him mold you into what He wants.