“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hands of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” Jeremiah 18:4

Putting the Clay to the Wheel… After the clay has been cleaned, it is ready for the “wheel.” The potter starts with a lump of clay and he wets his hands. The moisture must be the right consistency… If it is too wet, it will not take the shape the potter wants it to be. If it is too dry, it will “pucker.” Sometimes, the clay has a “thickness,” and it is hard to shape the vessel. There are times when the potter is not happy, and so he will smash the clay and begin to make the vessel all over again!

Sometimes, the potter may think that the vessel is ready, but then it will collapse! There are times when the potter has to make a decision to form the vessel into something else… Or, he may take a broken piece that no one else wants and make it “a wonderful and beautiful vessel!” After all of this work, the vessel is ready for the “oven!” You may be saying, “God, I have been through all of this, and yet I haven’t even hit the fire yet.” What? The biggest problem that Jesus the Potter has is “our will!” (Notice that the potter did not throw the vessel away… He made it over again!)

Separation… When this is done, the potter takes a fine thread and “separates” the clay vessel from the lump. He is now “getting ready to apply the heat!” (And you thought the battle was over?) Hang in there! Sherry