Clay in the Hands of the Master Potter
Scripture — Isaiah 45:9 (NRSV)
Woe to you who strive with your Maker,
earthen vessels with the potter!
Does the clay say to the one who fashions it, “What are you making”?
or “Your work has no handles”?
Focus
There are times when we don’t understand what God is doing – or not doing – in our lives. In such times we may be tempted to question God’s wisdom or to argue with God. God is not offended by our boldness. But, in the end, we realize that God’s ways are not our ways. We offer ourselves to the all-wise and all-gracious God as clay in the hands of a master potter. We trust that God will shape us to become what God knows is best for us.
Devotion
Through Isaiah, the Lord made known the divine plan to use Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple. Of course, this meant that the Israelites would be subject to Cyrus . . . not exactly the kind of restoration they would have wanted. Surely it was tempting for them to question God’s plans, to doubt God’s wisdom or even God’s goodness.
Yet the Lord points out the folly of such arguments. “Does the clay say to the one who fashions it, ‘What are you making?’” (45:9). Of course not. The potter has the right to form the clay according to the potter’s own design. The picture of a clay pot arguing with its maker is a silly one indeed.
And yet, aren’t we tempted to be silly at times? Don’t we want to argue with God about what God is doing or not doing? Don’t we sometimes even think that we know better than God? I’ll admit to such silliness.
Sometimes our arguments with God aren’t silly, however. Several months ago, I had major surgery. Though my recovery has been excellent, there were times when I experienced the worst pain of my life. In those times I knew God was present with me. I knew God loved me. And I could not understand why God didn’t take away my pain. It made no sense to me. Or, to be even more blunt, God made no sense to me. I kept on praying, “Lord, why aren’t you doing something?”
When God works in our lives in ways that don’t make sense to us—or when God appears not to be working at all—it’s tempting to take on the role of the arguing clay pot. The good news is that our merciful God is not put off by our questions and doubts. In fact, portions of Scripture encourage this kind of blunt honesty with God. See, for example, the book of Job. But, in the end, we find that we have no other reasonable choice besides trusting God and God’s ways, even when they confuse or distress us. Later in Isaiah God will say, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways” (55:8). That is certainly true, though sometimes I’m not happy about it.
Nevertheless, our confidence in God’s wisdom and goodness allows us to put our trust in God, to become willing clay in the hands of a master potter. We trust that God is forming us into the very image of Christ, even if we can’t quite understand the process.
I’m reminded of a song we used to sing in worship services, “Change My Heart, O God,” by Eddie Espinosa. This wonderfully simple but deep song goes like this:
Change my heart, O God,
Make it ever true;
Change my heart, O God,
May I be like you.
You are the Potter,
I am the clay;
Mold me and make me,
This is what I pray.
Yes, Lord!
Reflect
When have you taken on the role of the arguing clay?
What motivated you to question God’s plans?
What helps you to become trusting and willing clay?
Looking back on your life, can you see how God has used difficult and/or confusing experiences to shape you to be more like Christ?
Act
Set aside some time for quiet and prayer. Be ready to offer yourself as clay to the divine Potter. You might use the lyrics from “Change My Heart, O God.” Or perhaps you might use the prayer of St. Ignatius known as the Suscipe:
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me. Amen.
Pray
Gracious God, I do affirm your goodness and wisdom. I do believe that your work in my life is masterful. But when I can’t understand what you’re doing, when hardship comes my way, when things don’t work out as I think they should, then I find it easy to question, to argue, even to doubt. I wonder where you are and what you are doing. I can play the role of the arguing clay pot with the best of them.
Thank you for accepting me as I am. Thank you for the privilege of being able to approach you with boldness. Thank you for putting up with me, for your patience and mercy.
Help me, dear Lord, to trust you more each day. When you are molding me in ways I don’t understand, may I continue to have confidence that you are doing what is best in my life. I pray for vision to see your work in me, so that I may cooperate with you and rejoice in your presence. Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project’s online commentary. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: The Potter and the Clay.
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Strategist
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders,...