SUNDAY EDITORIAL

THE POTTERS TOOLS
April 20,2008
PASSOVER

Isaiah 64:8
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.
Jeremiah 18:6
O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
Below is a picture of the basic tools of a potter. This is a starter kit. The more experienced potter will have a larger collection of tools with which to work their clay. [Take a few minutes to imagine the different tools working on your soul, shaping you.]

I'LL ADD THE PICTURE AS SOON AS I FIGURE OUT HOW TO COPY IT OFF THE WORD DOCUMENT. LJG

This 27-piece set includes the standard tools that a potter uses for hand building and wheel throwing. This set includes the following traditional and contemporary tools:
3 wooden ribs that vary in size from 5" to 11"
3 paint brushes
2 straw brushes
Wood spade/knife and spoon
Paddle
Throwing stick with sponge tip
Wood hammer and various other related tools

Pottery is made by forming clay into a shape, heating them to a very high temperature to make the changes permanent, and to increase the strength of the object.

There are three major types of pottery: earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. Earthenware is fired at lower temperatures and will crack or chip easier then other types. Stoneware is of heavier clay fired at a higher temperature that gives it a harder finish and greater strength. Porcelain is the purest and also the most delicate type of pottery, while it is fired at a lower temperature it is formed with fine white clay, which is mixed carefully with feldspar and flint.

Before clay is even shaped it is mixed in an effort to give it a consistent texture and to remove air. The moisture content is also adjusted at this time. These things need to be done before the clay can be shaped. Once the clay is shaped there are a number of stages in the drying process, some processes do not require drying before firing.

We are the clay that God is shaping into who He would have us be. The same as the potter works the clay so does God work with us. If you have ever watched someone work clay it is not easy. To begin with the clay is moistened so it will be easier to work, then a piece of wire is used to cut through the clay to get out the air that is inside the clay. This cutting to get the air out takes time, but if all the air is not removed, the clay will burst when it is fired.

The person working the clay cannot force the clay; it has to be slowly shaped. This takes time, in fact many potters will cover their work with a damp cloth and come back to finish their work later. Some pieces takes days and weeks to perfect.

God is careful when he is working us on the wheel, just as the clay must be worked carefully. We must yield to the shape He is molding us into.

That all said my question is do you want to be earthenware, stoneware or the best of the best porcelain? God desires that we all be as porcelain. It does not matter what our size, or job, or vision He desires that we be the best that we can be. He is shaping us for a reason, He has a plan and it includes us.

We need to yield to the Potters hands and allow ourselves to be shaped into all that He would have us to be. Just look at the tools of this trade, growing into whom we should be is not always easy, but the finished product is worth it. I don’t know how to explain it to a man, but a woman who has had a child will understand, after the pain of giving birth is the joy of seeing our child. The pain is forgotten usually in the joy of holding what was formed inside us. How must God feel when He sees one of His creations taking shape into what He intends for us to be.

Our prayer for you and us today:

Heavenly Father, let each of us yield to the Potters hands, shape us and mold us into whom You would have us to be. We surrender our life’s to You. If there is any thing holding us back from completely yielding to you then Lord reveal it to us, we ask that you do a work in us, so that we can yield totally, completely to your will. Lord let our desire be to live for You, to do your will in this earth while we are here. Amen So Be it.

God Bless,
rECj/LJG