Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
"God at Work"
August 7, 2020
And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
It's very interesting to watch a master potter work, especially if you can track the whole progress of making a single bowl.
First, he prepares the clay, which involves wetting it, beating it, cutting it, and kneading it over and over again.
It often takes several hours over two or three days to make the clay just right.
When the clay is ready, the potter places it on a wheel that spins, while he presses on it to make the shape emerge. He pushes and pulls and cuts and carves until the shape he has in mind comes into being.
Then, he sets it on a shelf for a few days to dry before firing it.
After the first firing, the potter applies glaze to the bowl. The glaze is a very thin clay with chemicals that will change into beautiful colors as they melt. At this point, the piece still looks like some carefully shaped and hardened mud.
The final firing heats the bowl to over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes the bowl very hard and durable. It also reveals the colors and designs the potter has applied to the surface.
Only after the clay has been beaten, shaped, stretched, and fired can we see the beauty that was in the mind of the potter from the very beginning.
Therefore, remember that the Triune God is the Master Potter of your life. He has great hopes and plans for you. Granted, you may not like the way He works on you, but His shaping through life's circumstances is part of the process He uses to make you into what He wishes.
This is why He will, with the patience of a potter, keep on working, forgiving and training you, throughout your entire life. He may even turn up the heat or give you times of rest and peace—all part of His grand design for you. He will do what is necessary for your greater good.
The most important point to remember is this: God loves you and in His hands You are being shaped to His good purpose.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Master Potter, melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. This I ask with confidence in the Name of the Savior whose life, death, and resurrection has made me Yours. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you make or create things from scratch?This Daily Devotion was written by Sosana Yousef, a volunteer with LHM in the Middle East. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
2. What does it mean that God will bring a good work to completion when Jesus returns?
3. As God works in your life, do you see how He's molded and shaped you over time?
Do you make or create things from scratch?
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