Today’s reading shows us that God’s shaping process — like a potter with clay — is constant, personal, and purposeful, even when we don’t understand it.

Scripture Focus

• Jeremiah 18:4, 6 – “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. ‘O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand,’ says the Lord.”

• Jeremiah 19:1 – “This is what the Lord said to me: ‘Go and buy a clay jar. Then ask some of the leaders of the people and of the priests to follow you.’”

• Jeremiah 19:10 – “As these men watch you, Jeremiah, smash the jar you brought.”

• Jeremiah 20:9 – “But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!”

• Psalm 93:1 – “The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty. Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.”

Brief Context
During Jeremiah’s ministry, Judah was in deep rebellion against God, ignoring repeated warnings to turn from sin. God used vivid, everyday imagery — like clay in a potter’s hand and a jar being smashed — to give the people visual pictures of His message. These metaphors made His words unforgettable, leaving them without excuse.


Personal Story
I hardly ever add personal stories, but every once in a while God gives me one that sticks. Years ago in our Bellflower home, we had a window overlooking the backyard. With no air conditioning, our windows stayed open in the summer. One day, little Josh — about a year and a half old — was at the window, giggling and pressing his face against the screen. When I asked what was so funny, I looked out and saw the other kids covered in mud under the backyard tree.
I told Sabrina, who was eight at the time, to get Josh. She came around, scooped him up from behind with his face toward the ceiling, and started carrying him away from his “spot of laughter.” All he knew was that his favorite view was gone. He didn’t understand where she was taking him, so he kicked and screamed the whole way. In the middle of his tantrum, Sabrina said, “Josh, stop fighting me. I’m taking you to a better place.”
The moment his little feet hit the muddy patch, he realized where he was — and the laughter started all over again. Soon all the kids were playing together in the warm summer sun.
That day, the Lord showed me something about myself. Sometimes God picks me up and I can’t see where we’re going. I don’t understand why He’s moving me. But I have a choice — to act like a spiritual baby fighting against His hands, or to trust Him like a mature woman of God, patient in endurance, glorifying Him even when I don’t understand.
“And yet, O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You are the potter. We all are formed by Your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8 NLT)

Jeremiah’s Testimony of Suffering
Jeremiah’s life reminds us that being in the Potter’s hands is not always comfortable. He was mocked, plotted against, whipped, and beaten. In deep anguish, he echoed Job, wishing he had never been born (Jeremiah 20:14–18). Yet God’s call on his life was inescapable — the fire of God’s word burned too strongly in his heart to remain silent (Jeremiah 20:9).
 Jesus prepared us for this reality when He said, “In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 ESV) The refining fire is part of the shaping process. The question for us is: When we are on the wheel and the fire surrounds us, will we trust the Potter’s hands?

What Can We Learn from the Potter and the Clay

1. The Potter Never Takes His Hands Off the Clay
   • While the wheel spins, the potter’s hands remain steady and in constant contact.
   • Spiritual truth: God’s shaping of our lives is hands-on, continuous, and personal — even when life feels like it’s spinning fast. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6 NLT)
2. Warm Hands Soften the Clay
   • The warmth of the potter’s hands keeps the clay pliable.
   • Spiritual truth: God’s presence and love soften our hearts, making us responsive to His touch. “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.” (Psalm 16:11 NLT)
3. Water is Constantly Applied
   • Potters keep adding water so the clay doesn’t dry out.
   • Spiritual truth: Water often symbolizes the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, which keep our hearts soft and workable. “To make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.” (Ephesians 5:26 NLT) / “Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (John 7:38 NLT)
4. Centering the Clay
   • Before shaping can begin, the clay must be centered on the wheel, or it will wobble.
   • Spiritual truth: Our lives must be centered on Christ before God can shape us effectively. “He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body.” (Colossians 1:17–18 NLT)
5. Pressure Creates Shape
   • The potter uses gentle but firm pressure to form the clay.
   • Spiritual truth: God uses trials, discipline, and guidance to shape our character. “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT)
6. Removing Impurities
   • Impurities must be removed, or the vessel will crack in the kiln.
   • Spiritual truth: God works sin, pride, and wrong attitudes out of us to prepare us for strength. “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21 NLT)
7. Beating the Clay
   • If the clay becomes hard, the potter must pound it to soften it again.
   • Spiritual truth: Sometimes God allows breaking so He can reshape us. “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” (Hebrews 12:11 NLT)
8. Firing in the Kiln
   • The clay must be fired to be strong and durable.
   • Spiritual truth: God uses testing to refine us. “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine.” (1 Peter 1:6–7 NLT)
9. Glazing for Beauty and Protection
   • Glaze is applied after firing for beauty and sealing.
   • Spiritual truth: God clothes us with His righteousness and grace for His glory. “I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness.” (Isaiah 61:10 NLT)

Takeaway
Just like Josh didn’t understand Sabrina was taking him to a better place, we don’t always see where God is leading us. But the Potter’s hands never leave the clay. His warmth, His water, His pressure — all are for our shaping. Even the pounding, the fire, and the refining are part of His design to make us “a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21 NLT) Our choice is to resist or to yield, to fight His hands or to trust them.


Application Questions

1. Where in my life is God currently “applying pressure,” and am I yielding to it?
2. Am I staying centered on Christ, or do I find myself wobbling under His shaping?
3. Which part of the potter’s process — warmth, water, pressure, removing impurities, firing — do I most relate to right now?
4. Do I trust that even the pounding and firing are for my good and His glory?
5. Who in my life needs encouragement to trust God’s shaping process?

Prayer
Lord, You are the Potter, and I am the clay. I confess that sometimes I resist Your hands when I can’t see what You’re making. Forgive me for my stubbornness and help me to yield to Your shaping. Keep me pliable through the warmth of Your presence and the water of Your Word. Remove the impurities from my heart so I can be “a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21 NLT) Strengthen me through the pressure, the pounding, and the fire. Glaze my life with Your beauty and righteousness so I reflect You to the world. I trust Your hands — even when I don’t understand. In Jesus’ name, Amen.


Digging Deeper – Key Words

1. Potter (yatsar – יָצַר, H3335) – To form, fashion, or shape with intentional skill, like an artist crafting a design with purpose. This word reminds us that God is not passively observing our lives; He is actively and personally shaping us for His glory. (Isaiah 64:8)
2. Clay (chomer – חֹמֶר, H2563) – Raw, pliable material when moist, but resistant and unyielding when hardened. Spiritually, this reflects the posture of our hearts — responsive and moldable in God’s hands, or hardened and resistant to His touch. (Jeremiah 18:6)
3. Stubbornly (shruwruth – שְׁרִירוּת, H8307) – Obstinate self-will, a refusal to turn even when confronted with truth. It paints a picture of a stiff neck, determined to go its own way despite the warnings of God. (Jeremiah 18:12)
4. Majesty (ge’ut – גֵּאוּת, H1348) – Exaltation, supreme greatness, royal dignity. In Psalm 93, it declares the Lord’s unmatched authority and reign over all creation — a reminder that He remains sovereign and unshaken, no matter what happens on earth. (Psalm 93:1)