08/31/2026
HE’S THE POTTER I’M THE CLAY
Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another one. - Jeremiah 18:4 (MSG)
The prophet Jeremiah is looking at a potter sitting at his wheel. As the potter molds the clay into a vessel, Jeremiah notices it’s marred in some way. He believed the potter would discard the marred vessel and start over with new clay. But the potter takes the same clay and reshapes it into a new vessel that is useful.
As an illustration, the potter is like your Heavenly Father. The marred clay is the imperfect you. As the potter takes the marred clay and remolds it into a useful vessel, the Heavenly Father takes the sinful you and remolds you into a useful person. He never discards you or gives up on you. He continually reshapes you into the person He wants you to be.
Several years ago, I thought I was finished in ministry. I had almost given up on ever pastoring again. I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep doing this, and wasn’t sure God wanted me too either. I had convinced myself there was no way God would use me anymore. But I was wrong. While I had given up on myself God had not given up on me.
God knew there was a church that needed a pastor. So, He took the same person, marred with imperfections, and molded me into the person He needed me to be. As a result, I have been blessed to be the pastor of Henderson Street Baptist Church for the last ten years. I am far from a finished vessel. God is still molding and making me into the person He wants me to be
As God has done for me, He will do for you. God will take the old you and shape you into a new and useful vessel. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, where you’ve been, or how old you are, God is never finished with you. There is still kingdom work that needs to be done.
You’re not perfect. I’m not perfect. But together we can to useful to God. Remember, He is the Potter and we are the clay.
In His Hands,
Pastor Neale
Prayer: Heavenly Father, continue to reshape me into someone useful for You. For You are the Potter and I am the clay.
Going Deeper: There’s probably an area of your life that needs to be reshaped and remolded. God will do it, but you must release control of that area to God. Choose today to turn it over to God. When He’s finished, it will be a great asset for you and for His kingdom.
