Righteousness And The Lump Of Clay
I’m not sure that clay is dark in color. I’m not even sure what color or shape it starts out, as the potter sits down at his wheel and begins to put form to the soft material. He has the idea of what he would like the lump to become and he does all the work to spin the wheel and form the material with all the expertise he has learned over time.
I was thinking this morning about God and how the earth was said to be “...unformed and void, darkness was on the face of the deep...”. And I was reminded of the correlation of the earth’s beginning as unformed and void, and how we are said to be like the clay and God, the Potter.
“Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ or, ‘What’s this you’re making, that has no hands?’ I am the one who made the earth! I created human beings on it! I — my hands — stretched out the heavens, and directed all their number.”
Isaiah 45:9,12
God is God. I know that statement may sound rather simplistic.
We are likened to clay.
Why do we have an easier time believing that God - who in everything carries out the plan of His will, can create the beauty of nature and what we see today from what was formless and void....
And yet, have a hard time believing that He is that same God who created us.....He created human beings from dust and just as He turned what was formless and void into the amazing miracle of life we enjoy each day (think of the sunrises, the sunsets, the birth of a child, light, etc etc), and apart from what He created deserving anything...
Why can’t we believe that He is sufficient enough in Himself to keep those who trust in His name (apart from them doing anything to deserve or merit His righteousness) are called His righteous ones?
He is our righteousness. He created the heavens and the earth. He created you! And will He not be the everything that we cannot be? He is your righteousness!
The righteous One has become for us righteousness. It’s not by the works of our righteousness....we live in His!
Look at this!
“Woe to anyone who argues with his maker, like potsherds lying on the ground! Does the clay ask the potter, “What are you doing?” or, “What’s this you’re making, that has no hands?” Thus says Adonai, the Holy One of Isra’el, his Maker: “You ask for signs concerning my children? You give orders concerning the work of my hands? I am the one who made the earth! I created human beings on it! I — my hands — stretched out the heavens, and directed all their number. For thus says Adonai, who created the heavens, God, who shaped and made the earth, who established and created it not to be chaos, but formed it to be lived in: ‘I am Adonai ; there is no other.’ I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness. I did not say to the descendants of Jacob, ‘It is in vain that you will seek me.’ I, Adonai, speak rightly; I say what is true. There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God; there is no other.”
Isaiah 45:9,11-12,18-19,21-22
Why do we pretend that it is by our own righteousness that we make it in this life? We can’t live apart from God. He alone is our righteousness. And that dear friends, free’s us from guilt and condemnation, always striving to try and be holy in ourselves. Always trying to compete with those around us and always falling short. And then we give up. We feel we can never measure up. We become depressed, despondent, never truly living a life out of His righteousness because we feel we aren’t good enough. He is enough!!! We are just the clay. The clay has never done anything to merit the touch of the Potter. But how delighted the Potter is to take his clay and place it on his wheel and create something He knows is going to bring Himself honor. And after the clay is formed and the shape is made, there is still the long process of glazing, the putting into the hottest of fires until it glows red-hot and solidifies the original clay into something that cannot crumble easily or be formed into something else. The Potter knows what He is doing and we can rest and let Him do the work. And trust Him.
I have several coffee mugs made by local potters. I display my mugs on my hutch above my coffee bar. Goshen, Indiana is a city I live in that is full of amazing Potter’s who make the most beautiful pieces. I love my mugs made by different people from my community.
Remember friends, God is your righteousness. Jesus who knew nothing of sin, became a sin-offering so that we could become the righteousness of God through our trust in Him - in HIS process. He always proves faithful to Himself on your behalf.
How we need to soak in the Truth of Who He is and who we are in Him. It makes all the difference.
(Read Ephesians 3 along with this and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you and breath the Revelation of God to you. We all need the revelation of God for ourselves and it is His GREAT PLEASURE to share all that He is directly to you personally).
I was thinking this morning about God and how the earth was said to be “...unformed and void, darkness was on the face of the deep...”. And I was reminded of the correlation of the earth’s beginning as unformed and void, and how we are said to be like the clay and God, the Potter.
“Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ or, ‘What’s this you’re making, that has no hands?’ I am the one who made the earth! I created human beings on it! I — my hands — stretched out the heavens, and directed all their number.”
Isaiah 45:9,12
God is God. I know that statement may sound rather simplistic.
We are likened to clay.
Why do we have an easier time believing that God - who in everything carries out the plan of His will, can create the beauty of nature and what we see today from what was formless and void....
And yet, have a hard time believing that He is that same God who created us.....He created human beings from dust and just as He turned what was formless and void into the amazing miracle of life we enjoy each day (think of the sunrises, the sunsets, the birth of a child, light, etc etc), and apart from what He created deserving anything...
Why can’t we believe that He is sufficient enough in Himself to keep those who trust in His name (apart from them doing anything to deserve or merit His righteousness) are called His righteous ones?
He is our righteousness. He created the heavens and the earth. He created you! And will He not be the everything that we cannot be? He is your righteousness!
The righteous One has become for us righteousness. It’s not by the works of our righteousness....we live in His!
Look at this!
“Woe to anyone who argues with his maker, like potsherds lying on the ground! Does the clay ask the potter, “What are you doing?” or, “What’s this you’re making, that has no hands?” Thus says Adonai, the Holy One of Isra’el, his Maker: “You ask for signs concerning my children? You give orders concerning the work of my hands? I am the one who made the earth! I created human beings on it! I — my hands — stretched out the heavens, and directed all their number. For thus says Adonai, who created the heavens, God, who shaped and made the earth, who established and created it not to be chaos, but formed it to be lived in: ‘I am Adonai ; there is no other.’ I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness. I did not say to the descendants of Jacob, ‘It is in vain that you will seek me.’ I, Adonai, speak rightly; I say what is true. There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God; there is no other.”
Isaiah 45:9,11-12,18-19,21-22
Why do we pretend that it is by our own righteousness that we make it in this life? We can’t live apart from God. He alone is our righteousness. And that dear friends, free’s us from guilt and condemnation, always striving to try and be holy in ourselves. Always trying to compete with those around us and always falling short. And then we give up. We feel we can never measure up. We become depressed, despondent, never truly living a life out of His righteousness because we feel we aren’t good enough. He is enough!!! We are just the clay. The clay has never done anything to merit the touch of the Potter. But how delighted the Potter is to take his clay and place it on his wheel and create something He knows is going to bring Himself honor. And after the clay is formed and the shape is made, there is still the long process of glazing, the putting into the hottest of fires until it glows red-hot and solidifies the original clay into something that cannot crumble easily or be formed into something else. The Potter knows what He is doing and we can rest and let Him do the work. And trust Him.
I have several coffee mugs made by local potters. I display my mugs on my hutch above my coffee bar. Goshen, Indiana is a city I live in that is full of amazing Potter’s who make the most beautiful pieces. I love my mugs made by different people from my community.
Remember friends, God is your righteousness. Jesus who knew nothing of sin, became a sin-offering so that we could become the righteousness of God through our trust in Him - in HIS process. He always proves faithful to Himself on your behalf.
How we need to soak in the Truth of Who He is and who we are in Him. It makes all the difference.
(Read Ephesians 3 along with this and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you and breath the Revelation of God to you. We all need the revelation of God for ourselves and it is His GREAT PLEASURE to share all that He is directly to you personally).
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