A spoiled vessel
When I was little, I think around 10, I got a pottery kit for Christmas. I thought for sure I would be able to make cups, bowls or vases. No problem. Yea right….once I started trying to create anything that would be remotely shaped like a bowl, I realized how big of a mess and how much work this actually took. I couldn’t get the texture right, and couldn’t figure out how to even out the shape. To say I didn’t have the patience for pottery was an understatement…..probably my best indicator of my patience level for the rest of my life. There were so many pieces of clay that I threw away because it wasn’t how I wanted it to look. Instead of taking the time to rework the clay, I just decided it was best to toss it to the side and start over. It’s safe to say I gave up on pottery pretty quickly after that.
I stumbled across Jeremiah 18 in my quiet time and immediately felt like God said to me “see….I’m the potter, you are the spoiled vessel.”
Jeremiah 18:3-6 ‘ “So I went down to the potter’s house and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel,as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? “Behold like the clay in the potters hand, so are you in my hand.”
How many times have we given God every reason to toss us to the side and start over?? Start fresh, with new clay. But he doesn’t. He reworks us to make something beautiful out of once spoiled clay.
We are so quick to think God can’t use us because we are a “spoiled vessel.” We think all the mistakes, the failures, the setbacks, the sins are too much. That there is is no way that God can take what we have done and turn it into something good. When that couldn’t be further from the truth. God can take any spoiled vessel, “rework” it, and turn it into something new. A new vessel. A redeemed vessel. A vessel that can further the kingdom. A vessel that can share their testimony. A vessel that the potter can mold into something beautiful.
I am that vessel. We are the vessels. He will take all the spoiled things about us and rework them to use for his glory.