Jeremiah 18 (the potter and the clay)

  Today in my bible study I read through Jeremiah 18 and realized that despite who many times I've heard of the potter and the clay analogy I'd never actually read it's OT origin. So, here it goes...

The Potter and the Clay

18 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.” ³ So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. ⁴ 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.

⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁶ “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. ⁷ If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I willpluck up and break down and destroy it, ⁸ and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken,turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. ⁹ And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, ¹⁰ and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.¹¹ Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says theLord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’

  Right off the bat I think this story is so cool because Jesus taught with real life examples/parables to help the people understand, and here, thousands of years earlier, God does the same thing to help Jeremiah. He could of just told him but God knew that without the visual the words wouldn't make since. In His perfect plan and timing He told Jeremiah to go to the potter's at the exact time the vessel he way making spoiled and he reworked it into another vessel. 
   Although this analogy was meant for the House of Israel it, like so much, can be applied to us today! We are the clay, God is the potter. As  God is hard at work shaping us we often spoil in His hand. Although it hurts when He decides to break us apart and do quite a bit of molding, in the end we are a new creation (vessel) that is much better than the one before. 
   Jeremiah's presence in the story also reminds us that people will be watching us through the process. Many times they can't see the potter's hands and their focus is how we (the clay) react. Whether we willing let God have control of how we turn out in the end or if we harden and fight every time he breaks the tiniest piece of us. The more we fight the less time we give Him to shape us into His likeness. 
   Anyway, I just thought it was a super cool reminder the God is never changing and an awesome teacher!