In today's Scripture passage, God is teaching us about His relationship with His children. He says that He will deal with us just as a potter works with clay and that we, like the clay, are in His hands.
God deals with believers in two ways. First, He is molding every one of us into the image of His Son Jesus. Second, He is shaping us for a specific purpose, one that is individually designed so we will help build His kingdom. Our part as the clay is to submit ourselves to His purpose. As the Potter, He may subtract something from our life—similar to removing lumps from clay. Another possibility is that He may speed up the pace until we feel as if we’re spinning. Or, desiring a new shape for His “vessels,” He might dramatically rework our pattern of living in order to start us in a new direction. Our responsibility is to accept any changes from the Master Potter.
We can do this confidently because we are in God's hands. Scripture describes them as:
- Creative hands whose skillful work is displayed in nature.
- Hands filled with righteousness.
- Hands that give life and take it away.
- Mighty and powerful hands that rescued Israel from Egypt and us from slavery to sin.
- Hands that protect us.
- Hands that were pierced so we might be made new.
When we think about being clay in the Potter's hands and the ways that God deals with us, we can relax knowing "in His hands" is exactly the place we want to be.
Do you have a strong relationship with your children? The way we initially think about God has much to do with how we were parented—especially by our father. What image of the Lord are you portraying?
Many men struggle in their role as dads because their own fathers were either absent—physically or emotionally—or poor examples. But regardless of what a person experienced in the past, the best thing any parent can do is imitate God the Father. Yet how do we know who He really is?
We get our best glimpse of what the heavenly Father is like by looking at His Son. Speaking with the disciples, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me . . . He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:6, 14:9). Not only is Christ our path to relationship with God; He is also the way we come to know the Father’s true character.
When we look at Jesus’ life, what do we see? He was merciful, patient, gentle, compassionate, kind, and full of goodness toward all people (Matthew 9:10-13). The Savior healed the sick, provided for needs, and offered forgiveness—regardless of the offense (Matthew 14:14-21; Luke 23:34). But in love, He didn’t hesitate to discipline others when correction was required.
More than a solid education or material possessions, your child’s greatest need is a role model of devotion to God through prayer, Bible reading, and holy living. If you make knowing and following the heavenly Father your first priority, you won’t have to worry about what kind of parent you will be
Everyone faces challenges in life. Whether our struggles are financial, vocational, relational, or physical, we can be certain that nobody is exempt. Fortunately, we serve a God who is both interested in our problems and able to take care of them.
When trouble looms, prayer is always a good first step to take. But having a foundation upon which to build our prayers also makes a difference. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, faced an enormous challenge. Three different tribes—the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites—simultaneously waged war against him. Most leaders would have crumbled under such pressure, or at the very least taken drastic measures, but Jehoshaphat was a wise leader. Though afraid, he did not strike out against his enemies. Instead, knowing that God was interested in his dilemma, he “turned his attention to seek the Lord” and proclaimed a fast throughout the land (2 Chronicles 20:1-3).
Jehoshaphat also knew that God, who was more powerful than any earthly problem, had done miraculous things for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David. That same God would help him, too, in his hour of need. We should never underestimate the Lord’s interest in our affairs. He helped our biblical ancestors, and He can and will help His children today.
It’s easy to think our problems are unimportant in God’s eyes, but He doesn’t feel that way at all. Whatever concerns us concerns Him. If we, like Jehoshaphat, turn to the Lord and proclaim His power, He will intervene. And no matter how great our challenges are, God is greater.
Yesterday, we learned about Jesus’ divinity and those who recognized it while He walked the earth. Though sharing our faith with others is important, doing so isn’t always easy. Some people claim that it doesn’t make a bit of difference what they believe. In fact, some go so far as to deny the existence of truth. Yet our belief system actually matters tremendously, because it is the foundation for our character, conduct, and decisions.
For instance, a person who concludes that there is no God and no eternity will live for the moment. On the other hand, someone who trusts in the Lord and His promise of heaven will have a completely different lifestyle and purpose. Obedience, faith, and responsibility will characterize him as he lives to please his heavenly Father.
Knowing what we believe is critical—first of all, because our salvation depends on it. In John 8:24, Jesus made a powerful and unequivocal statement about this subject: “Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” The Bible is very clear that all people have sinned and in their natural state are separated from God (Romans 3:23). The punishment for sin is death, which is eternal separation from the Lord. But the Father, in His love and mercy, sent His own Son to die in our place. As a result, everyone who believes in Jesus is forgiven and receives His free gift of salvation.
Believers are to share the good news of salvation, but the world’s hostility can make us afraid. Today’s passage encourages us not to fear. Telling others about Jesus doesn’t require lofty words or long quotations of memorized Scripture. Simply be ready with an answer if you’re asked about “the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
Jesus called Himself both the Son of Man and the Son of God. The first title emphasized His humanity; the second, His deity. He is the only person in history who was both God and man. Leaving heaven, He laid aside His divine glory and took upon Himself the robe of humanness (Philippians 2:6-7).
Who recognized His divine nature?
• Angels. At Christ’s birth, the angel Gabriel told Mary that she would bear a child and His name would be the Son of God (Luke 1:26-35).
• God the Father. When Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan, the heavenly Father declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Later, God affirmed this same truth and instructed those present listen to Jesus (Matthew 17:5).
• Satan and the demons. Knowing that Jesus was God’s Son, Satan challenged Him to use His supernatural powers to bypass God’s plan. Later in the same chapter, the demons saw Jesus and shrieked that He was the Son of God (Luke 4:1-41).
• Disciples. When these men saw Jesus walk on water in the midst of the storm, they worshiped Him and concluded He was the Son of God (Matthew 14:25-33). Peter later declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
• Martha. When Jesus brought Lazarus back to life, his sister Martha said, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world” (John 11:27 NIV).
The world needs to understand who Jesus is. Whom can you tell about His deity?
