He is the Potter, I am the clay.

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"Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel."

Jeremiah 18:4-6 NASB

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"But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?"

Romans 9:20,21 NKJV


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"But now, O LORD, thou art our father;
we are the clay, and thou our potter;
and we all are the work of thy hand.

Be not wroth very sore, O LORD,
neither remember iniquity for ever:
behold, see, we beseech thee,
we are all thy people."

Isaiah 64:8,9 KJV

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He [The Father] is the divine Potter, and we are the clay. Let's take a short moment and dissect that fact for a bit, as it has been laid on my heart in light of the submission debate.

A potter and clay.

A maker and material to form another object from.

A being acting upon something, and thing receiving the action, and then being changed by it.

This can be taken a few ways. For the Bible-studier in a hurry, it is usually taken as: "Well, it says man was made out of dirt, so that must be what it means, we were all made out of dirt. It's not that big of a deal anyways, so Old Testament."

Well, if it weren't for the fact that only Adam was made from the earth, that might hold some water. So, let's take a closer look.

What is the potter at the wheel but a creator working on a masterpiece?

What is the clay but a shapeless mass with no purpose before the work begins?
[A clean slate, as an artist may see.]

What is the purpose of the clay? To be acted upon, of course, to be made into something with a purpose, something that will meet the approval of the creator, or else be tossed into the trash heap.

So, what is the motivation of the creator? To create a masterpiece that is pleasing to himself, that meets his standards and expectations, and something that will bring his name glory and fame.

Does the clay tell the potter what it wants to be? Well, duh Brandy, no! (As some would say sarcastically.)

Does to clay force it's own desires upon it's own creation process, while overriding the will of the potter? No, of course not!

Does the clay ever fail to give glory to the potter at it's completion? No! The artist's signature will forever be engraved upon the work of art. :-)

What does the clay do? It bends, molds, flexes, and smooths under the creator's wise and capable hands, allowing itself to be molded into whatsoever the creator desires it to be. Unashamedly, completely willingly, and without complaint. In fact, happy to be the item that the creator wills it to be.

Taking from the example, we as the clay are called to be submissive to the Will of our glorious Creator, happily bending, molding, flexing, and smoothing under His wise and capable hands. Seeking only to give glory to our Creator in what He has made us to be. His signature is ever on our outer creation, as well as written on the innermost parts of our souls, and should ever shine forth for His glory through our actions and testimony, that should coincide and agree, lest we be labeled hypocrites by the world.

As the kiln is the final testing of the clay pot, so are we tested in the fires of affliction.
["Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." Isaiah 48:10]

As the clay withstands the furnace, and does not fall apart, though it be temporarily weakened from the heat, it earns a place, as a trophy, on display for the glory of the creator, so shall we be rewarded in full as we withstand the furnace [afflictions, trials] of the world. We will stand to be tempered, if you will, like fine steel, and come out more beautiful, more strong, and glorious in the end.

PRAISE GOD!! For He is good!!

I am the clay, He is the potter. Amen.