Dear Members and Friends of IBCZ,
Last Sunday we considered the beautiful image in Jeremiah 18:1-6 of God as the Potter and us as the clay. God wisely shapes and forms us so that our lives come to match the wonderful purpose He has for us. Even when we sin, when we fail, when we reject God to go our own way, God does not reject us. He doesn’t toss us aside and look for some other “clay” with more potential. Even as the potter that Jeremiah saw did not reject but rather reworked the clay that was flawed, so God faithfully keeps working in our lives. What a glorious truth that God doesn’t give up on us!
During Communion I referred to the hymn Have Thine Own Way, Lord. Several verses go like this:
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay!
Mold me and make me, after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being, absolute sway!
Fill with Thy spirit, till all shall see,
Christ only, always, living in me.
That is such a beautiful, heart-felt prayer. In fact, that is a good prayer to pray each morning. You may want to make a copy of it and put it in your Bible, on your desk or mirror, or in some convenient place so you can refer to it often. Slowly and thoughtfully, with a heart yielded to God, say those words to God. You can be sure that over time, you will experience the wise and gracious transforming work of God in your life, helping you to become all God created you to be.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Bob