Last week as I thought of what subject to address, land came to my mind, and I began to think on what type of soil are we, but this morning the Lord shifted it to a particular soil and into another direction.

God knows the need of the people and I’m blessed to let him change my direction.

Today we will look at Clay

Genesis 2:7 ‘And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’

God in his wisdom formed us out of the most wonderful substance that ever there was. Clay.

To further understand why Clay, lets look at how a Potter uses clay.

Let us travel back in time, to when simple tent dwellers sought for clay pits. And they passed the prize from generation to generation. Clay was the element of tribe. Clay pots date back to pre everything. And has been used by every nation from nearly the beginning of time.

Clay is universal. Its use and the way it is used is also universal Looking at clay from the stand point of a potter

Let us start in the pit of clay this is not by happen stance that all clay come from a pit and likening it to our Christian walks. We are lovingly drawn out of the pit. To be fashioned into vessels of work and pleasure.

In a pit of clay is found both fine clay, used for china, and corse clay used for sturdy watering pots.

As is people, unique in their substance, each of us are created for different usage. When the clay is taken out of the pit, one finds a corse, gravel, twig, leaf, dirt mixture and most would think unusable such as We.

In our lives, we have issues. Rocks, twigs, dirt. And as the clay must be refined so must we.

The First step to refining Clay is to pick out the big chunks of debris.

The next step is to add water. Water is symbolic to the Word and like this, God reaches down, and lovingly removes the obvious sins. Blemishes, in our lives, then begin to liquefy us with the word. To purify, to make clean.

We are (because we are clay) washed with the living water.

What a mighty God.

After this step and all the mud and tiny bits surface, the clay is sent through a sive, taking the tiniest of bits.

Like clay many times I have felt the saturation of the Water (living word) purify my sinful nature. Then sifted tell the tiniest flaw is removed.

After the Clay has been purged. It is so soggy and saturated that is appears un-useful.

The skilled Potter takes this clay called (slip) to a slab of wood. OH this slab of wood is of the utmost importance. This wood will draw out the excess water, bringing the clay into a mouldable state.

This wood slab, is known to the yielded Christian, as the Alter of God.

The Potter scoops up the clay and slams it on the wooden slab.

Scoops, slams

Scoops, slams

Until the clay is firm, but not too firm. For hard clay is no more mouldable than over saturated clay. We too must be the right texture in the spirit. Mouldable, in the Hand of the Master Potter. Many ask Why this or that. The only answer is, you’re on the wood slab, becoming moulded in the Master Potters hands. With out this step, there would be no substance to form into the image the Master Potter visions.

What an Artist the Lord God is.

When the clay is of proper substance, ready to be moulded. When it is purified, saturated, tossed and turned, it is ready for the potters Wheel. But not all the clay that is prepared is used at the same time. And clay will dry out until it is no longer mouldable. So the excess it placed into a plastic bag or in old times kept in a clean moist cloth.

Ever felt as if you would suffocate, thinking that the bag your in will be your demise. Yet all alone it is meant to preserve your integrity, your composition, and your substance. When the potter chooses the clay, he moulds it into a perfect round ball, and throws it on the wheel, this must be precision. The clay must be placed in the very centre of the wheel. If the clay is off one centimetre, when the wheel turns it will cause the clay to become lopsided.

We too must be in the centre of Gods will or (wheel). And as the Wheel turns, So we liken it to the world around you. The force of the wheel spins the clay in the Master Potters hands.

With all skill and ease the Potter keep his hand wet with water (the word). Without His hands wet the clay would cling to His hands and ripped off the wheel before the moulding process it finished.

The Master Potter keeps his hand wet; As God keeps the word between He and us, for we could not bear His hand upon us directly.

Skilfully He uses the word (water) to let us slid through his fingers as He applies pressure, and pulls the clay ever so slightly this way and that.

And when the clay is moulded into a mountain peak, He plunges His thumb into the heart, the very centre of the clay. Causing an opening, a place to fill up with. (The New Wine).

At its finished state.

Many times I have felt the thumb of God plunging deep into my life. The sides are pulled into place, the shape is pushed into place, all by pressure. Never a pot would be made without pressure. When the desired shape, and size of the Potters vision of this clay, is accomplished, the wheel is turned off.

Then the Potter reaches for the cutting tools. These are sharp intricate tools.

One is used for cutting the lip even. One for cutting designs. One for cutting the pot off the wheel. Each bit of clay removed leaves behind beauty and skill, seen at this time only by the Potter.

Finished.. Not by a long shot.

The glazes must be applied into the inside. So this vessel will not leak.

Then to the oven. The kiln is heated to a level that will cause this pot to explode, if one blemish is left in the pot. Not a bubble could be allowed. That is why the wood (alter) is used. To remove bubbles. As well as excess water. But until the heat is applied. The tiniest bubble can go undetected.

Oh how important the alter.

Now to the fire.

This fire seals the Master Potters glorious designs. His craftsmanship will become solid. Ready to be used for vessels of work or pleasure. And my Dear one.. Only the Potter decides what sort a vessel is created within His hands. The Fire is Hot. The Fire is Long and heats the clay to a degree that no bit of stick no blemish can withstand.

This is the test. This step brings forth glory or Mass destruction. For no kiln is heated and used to bake one vessel only. Many a moulded piece enters the fire at the same time. Therefore if ONE is blemished, as it heats, it explodes and destroy the vessels all around it.

Many a minister who did not let the processes take place, have been the ruination of may souls, but their own bursting in the fire of proofing.

We must go through the Fire. We must go through to become Vessels of use.

There is no other way.

The next step is cooling.

Many fret and worry, over the cooling time. No longer clay, being moulded.

Not yet a vessel of usage. Sitting on the shelf, waiting, longing to be a vessel of honour.

But one more coat of glaze needs be applied, if the vessel is of beauty, for the Kings table. This is the adorning glaze, Glazes of colour, texture, all to make the vessel fit for the wedding feast.

This take one more burst of Fire

And again the chance, of this vessel that the Master Potter has so many hours invested in, to burst at the heat.

Another heating, another cooling.

But then. A vessel of toil or beauty, both equally endure the processes.

Both came forth as pure, ready to be of service. In the Kings Court.

Vessels of labour carried the new wine. Vessels of beauty carried the Light.

But both give the Potter to utmost reward.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 ‘The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 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.’

This is utmost important, if the clay becomes off centred, if the clay is not purified enough, it ends up back in the water (the word) until it is ready to be moulded anew.

No clay, until it reaches the fires of providing, is un-mouldable. Marred in the Hand of the Potter, Be still and know, He will make you anew, What is Good to the Potter? Lord Make us, Mouldable in your Master Potter Hands. I pray in Jesus name.

Amen.