Series Details
As we anticipate the days, months, and years to come, we have to admit we remain clueless as to what will happen on any given day.
In God’s Hands on Human Clay, Chuck Swindoll explains the treasured truth that most Christians overlook as the unknown future approaches: God is sovereign. As we encounter life’s trials, we can remain confident that the Potter, who causes all things to work for our good, kneads and reshapes us to fashion something beautiful, useful, and practical. Even though the future remains unclear, we can be certain nothing touches our lives unless it has first flowed through the “molding” fingers of our loving God.
The future is often a source of anxiety because it remains largely unknown. In this message, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explores a treasured truth that many believers overlook: God is the Divine Potter, and we are the clay. Using the imagery of a potter’s house, Chuck explains how God’s sovereign hands knead, mold, and reshape our lives through trials and transitions. This perspective transforms our view of suffering, assuring us that nothing touches our lives unless it has first passed through the “molding” fingers of a loving and purposeful God.
1. The Potter’s Sovereignty (Jeremiah 18:1–6)
- Overview: Explores the prophet Jeremiah’s visit to the potter’s house. Just as the potter has authority over the clay to make it into whatever vessel he desires, God has absolute sovereignty over our lives and our nations.
- Key Fact: Sovereignty means God is in control of the “pressure” applied to the clay; He knows exactly how much is needed to shape us without breaking us.
- Scripture: Jeremiah 18:6 – “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does? …Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand.”
2. The Process of Reshaping (Jeremiah 18:4)
- Overview: Addresses the “spoiled” vessel. When the clay becomes marred in the potter’s hand, he does not throw it away; he “makes it again into another vessel.” This illustrates God’s grace in the midst of our failures.
- Key Fact: God specializes in “re-making” lives that have been damaged by sin or circumstances, turning tragedy into something useful and beautiful.
- Scripture: Jeremiah 18:4 – “But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.”
