“And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.”
–Isaiah 64:8 (NLT)

When I was about 13 years old, I took a ceramics class at a community center. Usually our teacher told us what project we were making right away, but one day the other students and I were each confronted with a huge slab of clay when we sat down in our seats. Each slab of clay was about as thick as an average phone book, and twice as large. What were we supposed to do with all this clay?

Our teacher said, “I want each of you to make a sculpture out of this clay. Shape it with your hands into anything you want to make. Imagine that your dream sculpture is trapped in this clay block. Your job is to rescue it.”

Before long, the other students and I were putting our creativity skills to the test. As we “rescued” our projects, the teacher asked each of us what we wanted to make, and helped us out when we got stuck. We all enjoyed that interesting assignment.

I believe this story illustrates three things which God really wants to accomplish in our lives. First, God wants to rescue us from the idols and problems which the world gives us, just as my pottery teacher told us to rescue our sculpture from the clay block. We have all become corrupted by sin, and each of us has his own private gods–people or things of this world which he loves. You may really love a certain object you own, like a car or computer. Or you may put a lot of time or attention into a certain goal, like making money or moving up the corporate ladder. God wants to guide your attachments away from the people, places and things of this world, so that you are free to worship and follow Him more closely.

Secondly, God wants to guide us as we go through life, just as my ceramics teacher guided the creation of our sculptures. Whenever you are going through some tough times, God wants to hear your problems and help you to solve or endure them. He’ll never get tired of hearing and answering your prayers, because He loves us more than we can imagine. He may not smooth out all of the ruts in your life, but He’ll always be there to guide you around them.

Finally, God wants to mold and shape us into His own image. He is constantly chipping away at us, just as a potter or stonecutter takes the imperfections out of his works of art. God introduces events into our lives which may be used as opportunities for growth and self-improvement. Certain events may test your patience, take you out of your comfort zone, or give you a chance to show your strengths in new ways. These are all God’s way of perfecting and molding each of us.

God uses earthly trials to prepare all of us to join Him in heaven. If you don’t know our divine potter yet, start studying His word and ask Him to forgive your sins and enter your life. If you do know Him, ask Him to help you grow closer to Him, and dedicate yourself to following Him. If you learn to trust and follow God, He will gladly and lovingly devote His time and patience to you, making you into a pure and beautiful work of art.

Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.hcmachaplains.org and click on the Donate Now link. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 377 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 260, Placentia, CA 92870.

If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 641-715-3900, ext. 874157.