Weekly Devotional:

"But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay,
and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand."
- Isaiah 64:8

Our daughter is a studio art major in college and specializes in ceramic art. Just this past week, we were moving her stuff from our garage to her apartment and came across a box of pottery pieces she made her Freshman year. She said, "Throw it in the trash.” I questioned this and she reassured me that there was nothing of value in the box. It contained pieces that were imperfect. Again, I was hesitant to throw it away. She was adamant that artists never want people to see works that can’t support their reputation. As their technique improves and they hone their ability to create a perfect piece, the older, less-refined pieces are of no value. They are trash.

In thinking of pottery, my mind always goes to the potter and the clay mentioned in Isaiah. God is the Potter, the ultimate Creator. We are the clay. The difference is that our Creator never needed time to hone His technique. Adam and Eve were His perfect creation right from the start. Every human life created since then has also been His perfect creation. He has known us and named us for all eternity.

Now don’t get me wrong. I acknowledge that we live in a fallen world. We are destined to rebel. Our sinful hearts won’t allow otherwise. But the Good News is that when man recognizes his bent toward rebellion, the Creator has already provided a way for him to be seen as perfect. The Potter never looks at us and sees us as trash. He sees the perfection of Jesus – every time. Where we may feel “chipped”, “underfired”, or “overglazed”, He sees a beautiful work of art, that which He created in His own image, a human life that can and should glorify Him as we live in the knowing.

If you know Jesus today, God sees you dressed in white! The Potter intends to display His creation for all to see, so live out of the perfection of His creativity rather than allowing the Enemy to trample your thoughts with insecurity. Thank God that He never sees us as we see ourselves. He sees his most perfect creation.
 

Shelley Cadmus, Minister to Children