EACH OF US WAS MADE FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE

 

PROCLAMATION

“Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?”  Romans 9:21 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in Rome.  In this chapter Paul discusses God’s sovereign choice to do as He pleases.  God said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” (Romans 9:15)  God raised Pharaoh up and hardened his heart for the purpose of displaying His power. (Romans 9:17-18)  Who is the pot to ask the potter, “Why did you make me like this?” (Romans 9:20)  The potter can make the pots for whatever purpose he chooses. (Romans 9:21)  The Lord God is the potter, and we are the clay. (Isaiah 64:8)  As the potter, He has the power over the clay.

 

APPLICATION

The Lord God is our creator and our maker.  It is He who determines the purpose for each of our lives.  Some people come into our lives for a reason, and some for a season.  Some people are a blessing to us, and others are a lesson.  Those who are not believers come into our lives to test us or to bless us.  We all have a purpose for being here, and that purpose is according to God’s plan.  We each have a unique God given purpose for our existence.  Let us choose to be a blessing to those that we encounter.  Let us choose to live our lives so that we give God glory.

THE LORD IS THE POTTER AND WE ARE THE CLAY

PROCLAMATION

“Then the word of The Lord came to me.  He said, ‘Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?’ declares The Lord.  ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand, Israel.’ ”  Jeremiah 18:5-6 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  The Lord God told Jeremiah to go down to the potter’s house and He would give him His message when he got there. (Jeremiah 18:1-3)  When he arrived at the house the potter was working at the wheel with some clay.  However, the pot that he was shaping was marred so he reformed it into another type of pot, shaping it as it seemed best to him. (Jeremiah 18:3-4)  The Lord told him that He was like the potter and Israel was like the clay.

APPLICATION

The Lord God is the potter and we are the clay. (Isaiah 64:8)  The potter has power over the clay, and He can shape it into whatever seems good to Him. (Romans 9:21)  We are His property.  We were bought and paid for with the blood of Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:20)  The good news is that He is not finished with us yet.  As believers we know that the good work that He began in each of us will be completed. (Philippians 1:6)  

PRAY TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER

PROCLAMATION

“Yet You, Lord, are our Father.  We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.  Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever.  Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all Your people.”  Isaiah 64:8-9 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Chapter sixty-four of The Bible Book of Isaiah is a prayer to The Lord God which was spoken by the prophet Isaiah on behalf of the Israelites.  In spite of all that they had done against Him, they were still His children and they were relying on that relationship for His mercy.

APPLICATION

When we pray, we ask God for mercy and forgiveness as we hid behind the relationship.  In the model prayer Christ teaches us to call on “Our Father …” when we pray. (Matthew 6:9)  He is our Father both by creation and by adoption.  He made us and He chose us.  Although He has not forgotten the relationship, it is in our best interest to remind Him of it, especially when we have done wrong.  The confession of our sins is more of an admission of guilt and wrongdoing on our part because He is omniscient and already knows all of our thoughts, deeds, and spoken words.  For if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins, and He will cleanse us of all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE WHO THE LORD GOD IS

PROCLAMATION

“You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!  Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘You did not make me’?  Can the pot say to the potter ‘You know nothing’?”  Isaiah 29:16 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

In chapter twenty-nine the prophet Isaiah presents the coming judgements from The Lord God on Jerusalem, herein referred to as Ariel, and on the enemies of the Jews. (Isaiah 29:1-8)  He describes the senselessness of the Jewish people. (Isaiah 29:9-16)  Then Isaiah ends the chapter with a prophecy regarding the conversion of the Gentiles (Isaiah 29:17-18) and the future blessings for the Jews. (Isaiah 29:-19-24)

APPLICATION

All too often we, the created beings into which The Lord God breathed the breath of life, (Genesis 2:7) act as if we know what is best for us and we act like we know more than God.  We frequently have to be reminded of His greatness and punished for our sinful arrogance.  Our eyes and ears are open, but we cannot see, or hear, or understand.  There are times when we just go through the motions of worship, but our heart is not really into it. (Isaiah 29:13)  Remember, in the movie “Left Behind”, one of the people who was left behind after the rapture was the pastor of a church.  The Lord God knows us, and He hears our words; but He also sees our heart and knows our motives and intentions. (1 Samuel 2:3 and 16:7)  As believers we need to be still and reflect on all that He has done and know that He is The Almighty God. (Psalm 46:10)  We need to humble ourselves before Him and praise His Holy Name. (Isaiah 29:19 and 29:23)

THE LORD GOD MADE ALL OF US FOR A PURPOSE

Proclamation:

“Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?”  Romans 9:21 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in Rome.  In this chapter Paul discusses God’s sovereign choice to do as He pleases.  God said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” (Romans 9:15)  God raised Pharaoh up and hardened his heart for the purpose of displaying His power. (Romans 9:17-18)  Who is the pot to ask the potter, “Why did you make me like this?” (Romans 9:20)  The potter can make the pots for whatever purpose he chooses. (Romans 9:21)  The Lord God is the potter and we are the clay. (Isaiah 64:8)  He has the power over the clay.

Application:

The Lord God is our creator and our maker, and it is He who determines the purpose of our lives.  Some people come into our lives for a reason and some for a season.  Some people are a blessing to us and others are a lesson.  Those who are not believers come into our lives to test us or to bless us.  We all have a purpose for being here and that purpose is according to God’s plan.  Let us choose to live to give God glory.

We Are Clay To The Potter

"Yet, O LORD, You are our Father.  We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand."  Isaiah 64:8 (NIV)

The prophet Isaiah said that The Lord God, our heavenly Father, is the potter and we are the clay.  We are all just the work of His hands.  

God made us.  He can do with us whatever He wants to do.  We are just like clay in His hands which He can mold as He see fit to do.  The potter has power over the clay.  (Romans 9:21)  He made us, and He can break us and remake us. (Jeremiah 18:4-6)  We need to understand that if God decides to break us, He can remake us into something which is finer and better than we were initially.  He can improve us, to use us for His purpose. (Jeremiah 18:4)  All we have to do is be willing to be used by Him.