In the Potter’s hands
What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their evil deeds in the dark! “The Lord can’t see us,” they say. “He doesn’t know what’s going on!” How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”? Isaiah 29:15-16
In this time of the year, driving on the freeway of Southern California, you will see the snow-capped mountain nearby. You admire it at a distance for it is a sight to behold. But once you drive to go up the mountain to enjoy the snow, it will be a different experience. You drive going up to the mountain, sun is bright, but when you reach 5,000 feet, it becomes dark for the sun is covered by the clouds. The road narrows and you will feel the temperature suddenly dropping. You can hear the wind howling, the snow started falling and you are thinking if you are going to turn on your windshield wiper, and then it is zero visibility that you cannot see what is ahead of you. You realized, you are in the middle of a freak storm, and then you decided to cut short your plan of enjoying the snow and started to drive down from the mountain. The same way with our lives as followers of Christ where we can appear beautiful, cultured, under control, and seemed to be at peace. But when someone gets up close, what appeared to be calm and easy-going is filled with insecurity, uncertainty, and inconsistencies. From a distance, what a sight to behold, but once you get close, it is marred. This is why as Isaiah said from the text we need the hands of the Potter. He knows us more than we know ourselves. Nothing is hidden before Him for all are laid bare, our inadequacies, our weaknesses, our wild past, our hidden motives, and even our attempts to cover up these flaws with snow-capped beauty. Despite all these, He loves us still and is ready to mold us for His use so He could display His artistry and to be vessels of His blessings. Just like what Isaiah told the people of God, we have to look ahead and submit to God’s working in our lives so that He could use us effectively as He spread His kingdom here on earth. “Soon—and it will not be very long—the forests of Lebanon will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book, and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness. The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord” (Isaiah 23:17-19).
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www/my-wbc.com
