The proverb says ‘you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs’, and Mark spoke this morning on how God sometimes has to break us in order to re-shape us and make us useful and relevant to His purposes. In Jer 18:1-6, the prophet is sent to the potter to see how he fashions and re-forms that which is marred. We are like clay in God’s hands, made from the dust of the earth, and we need to be pliable in His hands.
God sent Jeremiah to watch the potter at work; often He does not speak to us simply through an audible voice, but through the many life experiences we witness. Jeremiah went in obedience and then heard further revelations from God. Obedience will always lead us to the place where God can speak to us and we can be transformed.
A skilled potter may make mistakes, but uses every opportunity for re-making; nothing is wasted. God can make, crush or re-make any nation and used this illustration to show Israel how they needed to be made fit for purpose again, having wandered from His truth. One of the chief things we need to remember is that it may not be pleasant to be crushed or re-shaped, but so often a fresh start is needed because we think we know best and have allowed our lives to follow our own plans rather than listening for God’s. Sometimes, we feel that our hopes and dreams have been crushed by God (as Joseph did), but this is only because He is wanting to shape us into something which is beautiful and relevant.
2 Cor 4:7-9 talks of us having God’s power living within ‘jars of clay’. The excellence of His power can live in us, allowing us to reach out to people in His strength, Re-shaping might be necessary to help us to reach our generation in ways that are different from what was previously required; we have to be flexible and malleable in God’s hands. As we are filled with God’s power, circumstances and difficulties will not crush and destroy us. Instead, we will be re-shaped to make something beautiful (see Eccl 3:11), relevant and useful in God’s kingdom.