Wednesday, July 6, 2011

A Lump Of Clay

Isaiah 64:8 (NLT)

And yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
      We are the clay, and you are the potter.
      We all are formed by your hand.

Do you remember as a kid making things out of clay? It always started out as a brick of clay...or a lump. It wasn't formed into anything yet. You would sit and play with it and form it into shapes to look like something. When you were through playing generally you would destroy it...crush it...and it would become just a lump of clay again. Eventually it would be dirty and even get things in it at times. What would you do with it then? For me it would usually get thrown away and if I were lucky I could get some more. I started thinking about this because of a song I have been hearing on the radio everyday...

He Didn't Throw The Clay Away sung by the Lesters written by Gene Reasoner. Here are the lyrics...

Empty and Broken, I came Back to Him
A Vessel Unworthy, so scarred from Sin.
But He did not Despair... He Started over again
And I Bless the Day, He didn't Throw the Clay Away.

Over and Over, He Molds Me and Makes Me,
Into His likeness, He fashions the clay.
A vessel of Honor, I Am today,
All because Jesus Didn't Throw The Clay Away.

He is the Potter... I am the Clay
And Molded in His Image, HE wants me to Stay.
Oh, but when I Stumble...
When I Fall... When My Vessel Breaks,
He just Picks up those Pieces,
He does not Throw the Clay Away.

The words of this song are so true. When we first accept Jesus we are empty and broken and unworthy. He takes us and remakes us...reshapes our life. But sometimes we go our own way. We mess up...do things we shouldn't. Maybe we even walk away for a time. We start thinking we are worth nothing. Just like that old piece of clay we get dirty...get things in us that don't belong. We think we should just be thrown away. But that's not what God thinks. All we have to do is just turn back to Him and He does just what this song says. He starts over again...remaking us...remolding us...He would never throw us away. He just starts as if we are a new lump of clay. He puts us on His potters wheel and starts reshaping our lives. He makes us into something He can use for His good.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NLT) says this...

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. Then the Lord gave me this message:  “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.  

Where the verse says. "O Israel,...I insert my name there. "O Chelle. Now read it with your name in it.

In my mind I have deserved, more than once, to be crushed and thrown away. But that's not what He does. He loves me too much for that. The Lord is the Master Potter and He just wants to remake me. That's what I want...to be remolded...for Him to be the Master Potter of my life. I want, and need Him, to crush me into a fresh lump of clay and remake me whenever I need it...whenever I sin and am broken and empty...whenever I might walk away for a time. That is the only way I will be whole again. The only way I can be a vessel He can use.

How about you? Do you want to be a vessel He can use? Let Him crush you and remake you. Remember...He will never throw you away. He will just make you into His image if you will let Him.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Chelle. this is beautiful. I remember being told once that God can use any vessel, be it broken or not, because He repairs it and renews it. I havn't heard that song (I don't think) but I love the words. Really uplifting.
God bless
Tracy

Desiray said...

When I was a kid we loved dirt we played in it and mom never liked it though. but just like the clay we have to sit on the Potter's Wheel and be transformed and at times that wheel can be hard for us to sit down because the Potter has to mold us and we aren't sure what He will mold us into.

Lovely post and I have to say when God found me I was completely messed up I was crushed but I am so reminded that God can take our burnt ashes and turn them into beauty. AMEN...

Unknown said...

He will never throw us away. What a beautiful truth, Chelle! The clay doesn't say to the potter, why are you doing this? We should allow God to mold us in whatever way He sees fit. Many blessings!

Reformed rebel said...

Thank you ladies for your comments. It is always uplifting to hear what you have to say.

God bless you all...Chelle

Never Forsaken said...

This is such a great post Chelle,
I have learned that the more I try to transform myself into something different than what the Potter intends me to be, it is more uncomfortable when He needs to crush me in order to start over again to reshape me.
Peace In Jesus

Ken said...

He keeps molding me and forming me into who He wants me to be. Many times I have deserved to be thrown away, but praise God for His grace and He does not throw me away.
Great post and God bless,
Ken

Denise said...

This is just lovely Chelle; by God's loving grace we can be remolded and built back up! All we have to do is provide the clay for Him to rebuild! :)

Mike said...

I am just a pencil, God does the writing, God does the thinking. - Mother Teresa