I saw the neatest thing this morning--don't know how I've missed it all these times. The parable of the potter's wheel is followed by another 'clay story.' On the wheel, the clay is still malleable, imperfections lead to re-shaping for a useful end result. The second glimpse of the clay Jeremiah shares is of a vessel that has hardened. The only alternative at that point is broken-ness.
Alongside the clay, the Word gives us living pictures. Jeremiah does not share these cries of God without struggle. The derision and rejection--and even persecution--pierce him. He literally cries out in sorrow over his very birth. Yet the hold of God upon His heart and life compels him to stay the course...to stay on the wheel.
The hardened clay, of course, is the nation of Israel. The individual in today's reading was a man whose name meant Freedom and Liberty. But Jeremiah said your name will be Terror and your destination captivity. The only freedom is in yielding to the shaping of the Lord. His hands are the place of safety and comfort. Let Him hold you and shape you into the perfect design for you.
Alongside the clay, the Word gives us living pictures. Jeremiah does not share these cries of God without struggle. The derision and rejection--and even persecution--pierce him. He literally cries out in sorrow over his very birth. Yet the hold of God upon His heart and life compels him to stay the course...to stay on the wheel.
The hardened clay, of course, is the nation of Israel. The individual in today's reading was a man whose name meant Freedom and Liberty. But Jeremiah said your name will be Terror and your destination captivity. The only freedom is in yielding to the shaping of the Lord. His hands are the place of safety and comfort. Let Him hold you and shape you into the perfect design for you.
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