Jeremiah and the Potter
Clay in God's Hands
Jeremiah 18:1-6about 2 minutes to read aloud
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. "Go down to the potter's house. There I will give you My message."
So Jeremiah went. The potter was at his wheel, shaping a jar out of clay.
The jar went wrong in his hands. It was flawed. So the potter began again, with the same clay. He shaped it into a different jar, the way he saw fit.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. "Can I not do with you as this potter does? As clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel."
"When I speak of tearing down, and that people turns from its sin, I will relent. When I speak of building up, and that people does evil, I will change My plan."
"I am the Potter. You are the clay. I shape you because I love you." The wheel turned. The clay was not thrown away. It was made new.
Questions to talk about
Where did the Lord send Jeremiah?
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'Go down to the potter's house,' the Lord said, 'and there I will give you My message.'
What did the potter do when the jar went wrong?
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The potter shaped the clay into a different jar, the way he saw fit.
What does the story teach about God?
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'As clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand,' the Lord said.
The lesson
No jar is ever wasted in the Potter's hand. The Lord shapes His people because He loves them.
