The Potter

“Yet you, LORD, are our Father.
   We are the clay, you are the potter;
   we are all the work of your hand.”

-- Isaiah 64:8

Many recent conversations . . .

          Brother:  “Why is my boss mean to me?”

          Me:         “The Lord is shaping you to love the unlovely.”

          Brother:   “But, it hurts.”

          Me:          “He is the Potter, and we are only clay.”

My senior year of high school I took an art class called “Introduction to Art”.  Being an introductory art class, we dabbled in a little bit of everything.  We drew in charcoal and colored pencils.  We painted in oils and watercolors.  It was great fun!

One day I came to class and there were 5 gallon buckets half full of ugly gray water lined up along the wall.  I asked my teacher, "What's with the buckets of dirty water?"  She answered by reaching into one of the buckets and pulling out a large lump of clay.  Then she explained that the clay was soaking in the water so that it would be soft enough to be molded when we started to study sculpture. 

Only time would allow the water to penetrate the clay and make it pliable.

The quiet time you spend alone with the Lord is seen only by you and the Lord.  There is no one in the flesh to encourage you.  In fact, your own flesh will want to rebel against this discipline. 

You are clay underwater. 

There is no one to tell you how spiritual you are.  There are no witnesses to see you.  There are no crowds to cheer you on.  There are no admirers to pet your ego.  There is only you and the Lord you love making his love evident as you soak in his presence. 

And, as you soak in his presence – you are changed from glory to glory.

Let’s pray:

Daddy, I come to you in Jesus’ name, and I ask in Jesus’ name that everyone who reads this post would choose to be alone with you and for you.  I receive this from you and thank you for it, in Jesus’ name – Amen.