My Redeemer liveth! I may be a lump of clay today, but watch out!!! I am having a do-over. I am in the Potter’s Hands!!!!
“The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, ‘Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.’ So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.” — Jeremiah 18:1-4
As I run this marathon journey called life — often bedevilled with unexpected hurdles, unavoidable detours and distractions that slow me down — there have been several occasions and various seasons in my life when I took stock and audited my personal progress. During each of these specific time periods of self-review — be it physical, relational, spiritual, professional, emotional, social, etc. — many times I concluded and judged that I had fallen short of my personal life goals and expectations. During some of these times, I concluded that I had not only fallen short of my own personal expectations and goals, but more grievously, that I had fallen short of the expectations of my Creator.
Being a little idealistic, my natural tendency at those times was to beat myself down — and down and down — sometimes to the brink of depression and self-rejection. During many of these times of personal review, I fought hard against thoughts and incontestable facts staring me in the face with solid evidence that I had failed and fallen short of satisfactory progress!!! Many times these realities were so graphic and incontestable that they pained deeply, tending to “paralyse” and “immobilise.” Especially when I compared myself to peers who were leaving me behind in making remarkable progress in their own areas of endeavour.
However, the comforting ministry of the Holy Spirit — the great Comforter — always rescued me from myself. Giving me comfort, making me see that as long as I am not yet expired here on Earth, things will improve and get better. Many times, I was made to recognise that compared to where I was coming from, I had made tremendous progress in life and ministry. Compared to how and where I started, compared with the resources with which I started, compared with the time when I started out — God has really brought me far! I have really come a long way.
Many times in life, we are blinded to these facts and we focus more on where we think we ought to have been, or what we ought to have become, instead of appreciating where we used to be and where we came from compared to where we are today. A major reason why the greatest Psalmist who ever lived was so grateful to God always was because he deliberately and consciously remembered where he was when God took him, before being catapulted into the palace as the King of Israel. David would always say:
“Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” — 2 Samuel 7:18b (NLT)
Just as God Himself said to David through Prophet Nathan:
“Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel.”‘” — 2 Samuel 7:8 (NKJV)
Many times, it has been the power of praise and thanksgiving that brought me from the depth of perceived personal shortcomings and failures — from the brink of self-imposed depression — to being thankful for and in my situation. The scriptures say: in everything, give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18). At such times, I have always been reminded of the lessons I learned many years ago from the praise and thanksgiving book series of Merlin Carothers, such as Prison to Praise, Power in Praise, Praise Works, and Victory on Praise Mountain. The good news is that facts can and do change!!! Yes — under pressure from the power of praise and thanksgiving, facts do change. It is only truth that never changes, but facts do change.
So the facts may be that as of today, I am not yet where I am supposed to be; today, I may not have become who I am supposed to have become — but these are facts. Facts are subject to change. Facts are not as powerful as the truth. The truth is that facts can change.
Many times I felt like a crushed lump of clay, broken and crushed by situations and circumstances — but watch out! I am still in the Potter’s Hands. Many times I felt as if I had not turned out as the Potter had hoped, so He crushed me into a lump of clay again and started over. As painful as that may be, the good news is that I am still in the Potter’s Hands. In my crushed, lumpy state, I may be written off as a failure — but watch out, I am having a makeover; I am in the Potter’s Hands. Today, the facts may be that because of my lumpy clay state, I am rejected and not found fit — but the truth is that I am in the Potter’s Hands. Today, the facts may be that peers and colleagues have left me far behind — but the truth is I am having a makeover from the Potter. I am in the Potter’s Hands. The Potter’s purpose for me is very different from what it is for my peers and colleagues; therefore, this crushed, lumpy clay called me is having a do-over. I am in the Potter’s Hands.
“The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, ‘Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.’ So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.” — Jeremiah 18:1-4
My Redeemer liveth! I may be a lump of clay today, but watch out!!! I am having a do-over. I am in the Potter’s Hands. It is a privilege to be in the Potter’s hands — for underneath me are the everlasting arms!!! (Deuteronomy 33:27)
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