God is Our Potter (Jer 18-20)

"So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel 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." -Jer 18:3-4

The potter can create and destory and create it again until it seemed good to a potter to finish it and put the clay on the shelf to harden. The potter will use the potter's wheel and put the clay in the center of a turntable, called the wheel-head. The potter will rotate the wheel with a stick or with a foot power. In this shaping process, it is called "throwing" which means twist and turn. The first step is to put the clay in the center, press, squeeze, and pull the clay gently upward and outward to create some perfect "rotational symmetry". This first step is called "centering" the clay, then "opening" to make a hollow inside, then "flooring" to make the rounded bottom flat, then "throwing" or "pulling" to make the shaping of the walls into an even thickness, then put the clay to finish with "trimming" or "turning" to remove excess clay and to refine the shape of the clay.

In archaeology, the study of pottery gives them an insight into past cultures, about their daily life, religion, social relationship, attitudes toward their neighbors and attitudes toward the world.

We are like His clay pot. He shaped us, so that we will look good to Him and that the archaeologist will look at us and see our attitudes toward everything! The archaeologist are the people who will watch us to see how His glory is being revealed through us as His vessels, so we got to let Him be our potter by our obedience.

Remember we are all different, God created us differently. Some people may become disappointed as they hear the testimonies about how God changed certain persons. Maybe God told someone to fast and pray, and that person received peace and everything went well for him. It doesn't mean God will make everything to turn out well for you if you fast and pray like that person because He created each of us differently. Through the testimonies, we may receive the hope. And through our obedience, whether big or small, God will bless us different ways! We got to keep our eyes on Him and let Him be our potter, not the world. Don't try to do the same things as they do and expect the same results.