03/02/2024 – Only God can restore a broken vessel
Jeremiah 19: 10 “Then break the jar while those who go with you are watching, 11 and say to them, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter’s jar is smashed and cannot be repaired.”
Most of our lives, we are unhappy with who we are. We are convinced that we could have been made better, given better talents and opportunities in life. One of the most foundational elements of faith is to trust that God has ultimate control over who you are. Like clay in the hands of the potter…
But we know that even when God has provided everything we need…even when He has shaped us as a vessel for His glory, we may not be ready to serve Him. We have placed our faith in Christ, therefore the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We have a treasure in earthen vessels. (2 Corinthians 4:7) There are many precious vessels who have a treasure inside of them but may not be serving God according to that potential.
This is what happened with the people of God in the Old Covenant. There was one final step…the vessel needed to be broken. God sent Jeremiah back to the potter’s house. God ordered Jeremiah to buy a jar and bring it to the congregation.
The human potter could repair the vessel while the clay was malleable. But once the jar was set, if it broke, there was nothing the potter could do. Our lives are fragile. We are easily broken. Those we love can easily break our hearts. Our hopes are frequently smashed by the harsh reality of life. Only God can take our broken hearts, our broken dreams and make a vessel more useful and more beautiful for His glory.