Have you ever seen clay before it becomes a bowl or vase? Clay is an earthy material, thicker and slimier than mud. But in a potter’s hands, it’s the beginning of something beautiful.
This relationship between the potter and the clay resembles our relationship with God. Before we know God, we are like a pile of unmolded clay. When we yield to God’s leading, He gives our life value and purpose, the same way a potter gives clay value and purpose.
In Jeremiah 18, the Lord uses this example of a potter and clay to warn the people of Judah about the consequences of their sin. When the people stopped being molded by God, they became distracted and ultimately, conquered by sin. When Jeremiah spoke to them, they replied, “We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts” (Jeremiah 18:12).
Just like the potter did what seemed best to him, God always does what seems best to Him — not what seems best to us. God is just and loving. He is powerful and merciful. He does not lash out at us when we sin, but He will not stand for it either.
From Jeremiah: A 33-Day Devotional.
"The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do." -Jeremiah 18:1-4 ESV | 
