As with the previous post on healing, this is an intermission post and not part of the He Is collection. That being said, It still fits in there as an additional image of who He is, as He is The Potter.
My personal prayer for myself the past week, has been the lyrics to the song "The Potter's Hand" by Hillsong. It is my heart's cry, and one with an overwhelming urgency.
I'm captured by Your holy calling
Set me apart, I know You're drawing me to Yourself,
Lead Me Lord, I pray
Take me, mold me,
Use me, fill me,
I give my life to the Potter's Hand
Call me, guide me
Lead me, walk beside me,
I give my life to the Potter's Hand
Jeremiah 18:3-6 says: Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 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.
Each of us is a vessel. In Perry Stone's Hebraic Prophetic Study Bible, he breaks down seven vessels that are in the Bible, and now they relate to us. These vessels are found in both testaments of the Bible. The following is his commentary on these seven vessels.
The Earthen Vessel Lev 6:28): We are all earthen vessels formed from the clay of the earth by the Master Potter, or Heavenly Father. As vessels of clay, we are subject to being broken if mishandled or mistreated and we must be strong to endure the pressure required to bear the cares and burdens of this life.
The Vessel of Honor (Rom 9:21): Any vessel (person) who will submit to God's will and purpose, and follow through in his or her obedience, brings honor to the Lord's name and is considered a vessel of honor. Just as men and women who make sacrifices during war to risk their lives to save others and are honored with military medals, so giving one's life for the Gospel and sacrificing for others places that person in the "hall" of the vessels of honor (Hebrews 11)
The Vessel of Dishonor (Rom 9:21): Any vessel (person) who breaks God's will and Word, practicing sin, becomes a vessel of dishonor. The common Hebrew word for dishonor means "to be disgraced." For example, Solomon in Proverbs 6:32-33 warned that sexual immorality would cause a wound and dishonor to the one committing the act.
The Vessel of Wrath (Rom 9:22): Those who commit the sin of blasphemy or sin to the point they are given over to a reprobate mind (as in Rom. 1:28) are vessels of wrath. The only sin for which a person can never receive forgiveness is the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (see Mark 3:29). Judas was called the "son of perdition" (destruction) in John 17:12, and Satan had entered Judas's heart (Luke 22:3), leading him to eventually take his life. Judas would be an example of a "vessel of wrath," as he sinned and was not able to gain forgiveness as Ghrist noted, "It would have been good for that man (speaking of Judas) to have not been born than to betray the son of man" (Matt 26:24)
The Broken Vessel (Ps 31:12): These vessels represent individuals who are respected an good, but become casualties of heartbreaking or sorrowful circumstances during the process of life. These are ones with a broken heart (see Ps 34:18) and a broken spirit. These vessels need to be reminded that God heals the broken of heart and binds up their wounds (see Ps 147:3).
The Chosen Vessel (Acts 9: 15): Chosen vessels are people God chooses from birth for a God-given assignment reserved for them alone. We know that before Jeremiah was born, God knew him and ordained him as a prophet (see Jer. 1:5). God Himself identified Paul as a "chosen vessel" to bear His name to the Gentiles (see Acts 9:15). "many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt. 22:14)
The Vessel of Mercy (Rom. 9:23): As God's grace is poured out upon our lives and we live in spiritual freedom from the sins and bondages of the past, we are marked as vessels of mercy. The Greek word commonly used for mercy in the New Testament means "to have a special compassion or grace." Those who have been forgiven of much, love much (see Luke 7:47). Those who received much mercy are givers of mercy and are merciful to others who fall short in their spiritual walk and destiny. Paul confessed that he himself had received God's mercy and therefore was merciful to others (see2 Cor 4:1)
Every morning, I ask God to break this vessel, to put me back on the wheel and mold me once again. Lamentations 3:22-23 says It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
I thank him every day that his mercies are new each and every day. And it is because of His tender mercies that I am able to go forth each day and give my all for Him. My desire is to be usable in the manner that He needs me to be, and for Him to be able to use me to overflowing. In The Book of Mysteries, Johnathan Cahn begins all of the mysteries with a passage entitled Infinity In a Jar. He poses the question, "Can that which is finite encompass that which is infinite?" The answer is yes, because when the lid is taken of the jar, it no longer has limitations. The same is with us, when we are open to God, when we let him put us on that wheel and remake us into His vessel, and we open our minds, our hearts and our lives, we can contain the infinity of God. He tells us in Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Can the vessel know more than the potter that created it? Of course not. It is the potter that shows the vessel its purpose for which it was designed. Each day, He alone knows the design He has for me. He alone knows the purpose for which He has called me for each individual day. If I am not allowing Him to remake me daily for His glory, is it about Him or have I made it about me? As Samuel told Saul, To obey is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). His ways are perfect and if I allow Him to use me for His purpose, and give myself over to the potter's hand, then I know that when I see Him, His words will be, "Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful ... enter thou into the joy of the Lord." Matthew 25:21
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