God is the potter. I am the clay.
If you have ever found yourself sitting at a potter’s wheel, you will know that before the clay makes it to the potter’s wheel, it has to be worked and softened to make it the right consistency to be workable. The potter does what is referred to as wedging the clay. The clay is kneaded repeatedly to release any air pockets that can cause the vessel to crack and break when it is fired in the kiln. It is a tedious but crucial process. Just like the lump of clay, we cannot be used in God’s kingdom in our natural condition. Our hearts are hardened by sin and must be softened and made more malleable by the truth of God’s word. Air pockets of resistance in our hearts must be dealt with by His Holy Spirit. His desire is to transform us into a new beautiful vessel, and to do that, we must trust His process and His timing.
Under the Master’s hand, the clay becomes transformed from a stiff unyielding substance into a substance that can be formed into a strong and useful vessel. We may wonder why the Lord has not removed some difficulty we may be facing. Doesn’t He love me? How can this be part of His plan? We must learn not to resist what the potter is doing. May the Lord help us to trust Him as we yield to His touch.