Grace Notes – Gracious Potter
“Yet, O Lord, You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our Potter,
And we all are the work of Your hand.”
Isaiah 64:8 AMP
“Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.”
Psalm 139:16 NASB
Grace Perspective:
Have you ever considered yourself a lump of clay that needs shaping? Scripture bears out this idea. The analogy of a “potter” is used many times throughout Scripture, with God referring to Himself as the “Potter” and His creation as clay. Both these verses remind us that God is our Father, our Potter, and He has a plan to shape each of us.
The word potter comes from the Hebrew yasar (pronounced yaw-tsar’). It means to form, fashion, or frame, to be predetermined, be pre-ordained. God created each of us for His purposes. Matthew Henry expresses it beautifully, “The grounds of God’s care and concern for His people and the interests of His church and kingdom among men. They are God’s workmanship, created by Him unto good works, Ephesians 2:10. They are His peculiar people, whom He has distinguished from others, and set apart for Himself; He has called them by name, as those, He has a particular intimacy with and concern for. They are His, and He has a special interest in them. True believers are precious in God’s sight; they are His jewels, His peculiar treasure (Exodus 19:5); He loves them, His delight is in them, above any people. His church is His vineyard.”[ii]
A Touch of Grace:
What does it mean that God formed you?
How do you see God continuing to mold you?
Grace Application:
The God of the universe, who spoke our world into being, took His time to knit you together. He made not just your physical form but also your spiritual nature. He knows everything about you, including the depths of your heart. All we are is laid bare before Him. Nothing is hidden from Him; scary thought, isn’t it?
God chose you before He formed the universe. Before He formed Adam out of the dust, God knew all about you. This personal knowledge of you, as Charles Spurgeon writes, “The Lord knoweth them that are His: He has a specially familiar acquaintance with the members of the body of Christ; He sees their substance, unperfect though they be.” [i], underscores your value to Him.
In Hebrew, Yasar describes how God forms our inner beings or hearts. While God certainly took great care in forming our outward appearance, He also gently created our hearts. The Lord knows our strengths, weaknesses, loves, and dislikes. He is the One who made us this way. But, most of all, He made our hearts to worship Him.
God knew our past and present circumstances before He created the world. Therefore, nothing we experience is wasted when we place it safely into God’s loving hands. Our pain, suffering, sorrow, joy, hopes, and love are part of His purposeful plan for shaping the lump of clay God has formed for His glory. Trust Him as He molds you and makes you a vessel of grace.
Prayer
Gracious Father, I come to You in the precious name of Jesus Christ, thankful that You formed me. Though I don’t always understand or like how You shape me, help me lean into the process and trust Your steadfast mercy and grace. Forgive me for the times I fight Your hand, which is molding me to be more like my Savior. Help me to surrender to Your hand as it shapes me for Your glory. Amen
**Today, as you read this, I pray each of you will know you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubt, please call out to God so that all doubt is erased. Today is a good day to ensure that you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**
[i] Spurgeon. C.H. Spurgeon’s The Treasury of David.
http://www.studylight.org/isb/bible.
[ii] Page 1158, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible Complete and unabridged in one volume.