Surrendering to the Potter

Jeremiah 18
At the Potter's House
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 2 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." 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.


I remember the first time I was introduced to a literal potter’s wheel. I was in 7th grade and my art teacher Ms. J (She asked us to call her this because her real name was to difficult to pronounced) decided that that day she would uncover the potter’s wheel which she kept covered under a sheet.

I remember Ms. J grabbing a chunk of clay which she kept in a bucket so that it would remain moist and she plopped it on the wheel. As she turned the wheel on she held the clay with her hand. I remember how dirty the process was but at the same time the awesomeness of it took over me. Ms. J would sprinkle some water over the clay and this clay seemed to melt in her hands. I remember seeing that out of that clump of clay a beautiful vessel to my sight was appearing. As a kid from the projects this was nothing I had seen before, my heart raced at the thought that maybe just maybe Ms. J would give that creation to the best kid in class, which of course was me…yes this was a very bad class. I could see myself taking that home to my mother all nice and glazed. But my daydreaming and amazement was disrupted by a movement in Ms. J’s hands that took this beautiful vessel and turned it back to an unrecognizable clump of clay. I asked Ms. J why she did that and she grabbed this pottery string and cut through the clay and showed us the inside full of little air pockets or as she called it air bubbles. She went on to tell us that if she had put that vessel in the kiln to fire, it would have exploded and after that nothing could be done to the piece but throw it away.


In today’s scripture we learn that God calls on to his prophet Jeremiah to go down to the Potter’s because he wanted to show him something. Jeremiah obeyed God and proceeded to the Potter’s where he noticed him at work at the potter’s wheel. There in the middle of making this pot he breaks the pot he’s making and begins to make another one out of that clay. As noted in the book of Jeremiah the potter’s will became the driving force behind the decision to break the original pot and to build a new one.

This story seems simple enough but it has great theological implications to our lives as Christians. As we read further into the text we see that God clearly wants to send a message to the people of Israel and in using this pottery process he wants Israel to understand that he is a sovereign God who like the Potter, has the power to build and to destroy and rebuild. “"O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.”

In this particular scenario God is not only making sure that Israel understands his power to do as he pleases but at the same time he’s re-introducing them to his providence.

What is Providence, and I’m not referring to the capital of Rhode Island, but God’s providence. In simple terms providence can be defined as Care or preparation in advance; foresight. In theological terms God’s providence can be defined as a) "The doctrine of divine providence, therefore had reference to that preservation, care and government which God exercises over all things He has created, in order that they may accomplish the ends for which they were created." b) "the divine intervention in the affairs of man within the confines of natural law to bring about God’s objectives"

Providence does not infringe on God’s sovereignty and his authoritative word which has been established before the foundation of the world. God’s will is not fatalistic.
“God did not just crate a universe that would necessarily play out precisely as he had eternally decreed. Rather, he formed a cosmos in which he could interact with his creation.” (Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible NIV)

In this scripture we see God’s approach to Israel’s disobedience which clearly is punishment yet providentially offers them an out if they repent.

The question this morning should be how does this relate to me and my life? Israel’s issue was specific, the issue at hand was repentance and/or retribution but in between that harsh reality God’s providence was coming through. But there is something deeper for us today this morning. God may or may not be referring to your life within the concept of crime and punishment, but certainly he is again making it clear to us that he is a sovereign God while at the same time he has provided his children with a degree of his Providence over our lives.

I am amazed at the ambiguity that seems to exist between our religion and our everyday lives. Our Christianity seems to be something abstract something that isn’t practical, something that doesn’t relate to our everyday lives. Thank God for troubles and tribulations, because it is crisis that seems to guide us towards the recognition that it is only God care that can pull us through our situation for his Glory and honor.

Let me respectfully ask you this morning this question: Are you fighting God’s providence in your life. James W. Alexander stated that “the true recipe for a miserable existence is to quarrel with Providence.” It is possible that struggle with surrendering stems from your confusion as to where is God and why is he allowing evil to take a hold of my situation? Let me share this teaching with you this morning, “Divine providence controls even morally evil events.” But it’s important this morning for you and I to understand these things: 1) While God permits moral evil, he is NOT the author of them. 2) God punishes evil with evil. 3) God brings good out of evil. 4) God at times uses evil to test and discipline those he loves. 5) One day God will redeem his people from the power and presence of evil altogether.

The challenge for you and me this morning is, do we willingly and trustingly surrender to God’s sovereignty and Providence? You see “confidence in the potter comes finally in knowing the potter, not in observing him spin the wheel and shape the clay from the vantage point of a supposed neutrality.” Listen, God is going to do what God is going to do. In Spanish we say “a las buenas o las malas.” True surrender is understanding that the clay has no right to question the potter, but more importantly is that the potter has intentions of preparing vessels for his glory and fit for his mercy. In the process of God fulfilling this purpose, God can shape and reshape us, his vessels, in ways not understood by us.

Will you surrender this morning to the Potter’s hands? Will you say here I am Lord break me and make new as you will. I grew up with this beautiful song in Spanish which said:

“I want to be, o loving God, as clay in the hand of the potter,
Take my life and make it new, I want to be, I want to be a new vessel.”

Let me close with these words from a poem written by William Cowper

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His sovereign will.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His works is vain;
God is His own interpreter, and He will make it plain.