ISAIAH 64:8 – But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
THEME OF THE DAY: SOFT OR HARD CLAY? The picture the prophet Isaiah paints in today’s scripture is a wonderful illustration of the New Testament truth found in the opening chapter of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians – And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). Both state a “work” being done and that by our Heavenly Father. As we explore this glorious work of our God, let’s do so in three directions: the goal in the work, the description of the goal in the work, and the process of the work.
First, the goal in the work of God in His children, which is the whole of the Christian life from start to finish or in theological terms from “justification to glorification”, is molding them into the image of the Lord Jesus. Again, from the Apostle Paul, we gain insight about this work of God – And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).
Next, what does this goal or image of Christ look like that God is shaping His children into? It is found in the fifth chapter of the letter to the Galatians – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23a). There are two ways to determine our spiritual health and condition – are we becoming like Jesus (Fruit of the Spirit life) and are we loving people like Jesus?
Finally, the process of this work of God. This happens each day in our lives through the ordinary affairs in life; circumstances, situations, relationships, trials, and everything else unfolding in the daily living of life. Don’t go looking for some extraordinary event for this work to be done. It doesn’t happen by some concert, conference, or other so called “spiritual experience.” No, God does this extraordinary work of making us like Jesus through the ordinary occurrences in our lives. And that leads to today’s scripture and theme as our part in this work of God.
Isaiah describes us as “clay” in the hands of our Heavenly Father, the Divine Potter. This description of us begs the question – “What type of clay are we?” There are two types. There is the soft and pliable “clay Christian” who is learning to gladly submit to the painful shaping work of the Divine Potter. The other type is the hard and unworkable “clay Christian” who complains, grumbles, and wants more comfort than conformity to the image of the Lord Jesus – the goal of God’s work in us. Stop right now and ask what type of clay we are and then rejoice in the God who is so patient with us jars of clay!
PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for Your commitment to mold and shape me to be like Jesus.”
QUOTE: “God is the potter. We are His clay. Are we soft in submitting to His shaping work in us?”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim