Jeremiah 18:2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4 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. 5 Then the Lord gave me this message: 6 “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.

God is shaping your life. God refers to Himself as the “Master Potter.” He is in the business of taking His people and making them useful for His kingdom and conforming them into His image. The interesting thing about watching a potter work at his task is that there is a long season where only the potter knows what he has in mind to make. The shapes of several distinct vessels all look similar at the beginning. Likewise, you often do not know at the beginning of a season what God will make out of you.

God can make something out of nothing. The potter just starts with a lump of clay. The clay has very little to offer but in the right hands it can become a masterpiece. Similarly, you have very little to offer God in your own might, power, or strength. When you place your life in His hands He can turn your life into something powerful for His purpose.

Stay pliable in God’s hands. Life has a way of making us bitter or making us better. The difference is your response to the problems that come your way. As long as you stay pliable, God can shape you into something useful for His kingdom.

Realize pressure shapes us for His purpose. The pressure in your life is what gives shape to your life.
Without any pressure you stay useless, shapeless, and indistinguishable from all the other dirt on the ground. It is the pressure allowed in your life that creates conviction, establishes purpose, and makes you useful in His Kingdom.

Stay on the wheel. Sometimes life seems to be going in circles. There is something encouraging to me in this passage. God does do-overs. When the clay did not turn out right, the potter started over. God has been faithful to start over and over and over again in my life. Instead of tossing me to the side, He continues to shape me into someone He can use.

Today’s Challenge: Remember that God is shaping your life. Submit to the pressure and the process and discover God’s great plan for you.