freedom in being clay

Scripture:

Jeremiah 18:3-6 “3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 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. 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me. 6 He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.

Observation:
Jeremiah has been proclaiming the Lord’s words against the sins of Judah. Here He uses the image of a potter to show His absolute sovereignty. Like the potter, the kingdoms of the world are simply clay in His hands. The Lord can do as He pleases to fulfill His will. The next few verses discuss how if He promises blessing, but the people sin, the Lord doesn’t have to bless. If He promises destruction, and the people repent, the Lord doesn’t have to destroy. He is sovereign, and He can do as He pleases. Although this passage of scripture talks specifically about His reaction to sin and repentance, the fact is the same in any situation; the Lord is sovereign and He is in control.

Application:
This verse hits me in an interesting way today. Just over a week ago I completely blew out my knee and I am facing the prospect of potentially never walking unassisted again. This injury is a life changing injury and I have honestly spent some time questioning the Lord. What He is doing in this? How could He allow this to happen? What did I do to deserve this? This injury is not a sin related punishment, and the Lord did not cause it. It just happened. And in the middle of it, God is still on His throne and He is still sovereign. In the midst of my pain and disability, the Lord can do whatever He wants. I am simply clay. If He wants to heal me overnight, He can. If He wants to leave me in a wheel chair for the remainder of my life, He can. I am simply the clay in His hands. There is great comfort in that to me today. It means that I don’t have to force an outcome and I don’t need to invent reasons for why it happened. I need to simply rest in His sovereignty and seek to glorify Him in the midst of these circumstances. I am finding it incredibly freeing to be clay.

Prayer:
Father God, I acknowledge that I am simply clay in your Hands. I thank you that you are a skilled potter and that you are shaping me into the vessel you choose. Please help me to remember that no matter what the doctors say, it does not negate your sovereignty and I can bring you glory no matter the diagnosis. Amen