Reading Jeremiah chapter 18 today, I couldn’t help but be reminded of my youth. More specifically–the countless hours I spent at “The Potter’s House.”
Friday night church was something I rarely missed. In fact, on a few occasions I hopped into the back seat of my dad’s car after an evening shift at the mall and changed out of my uniform, just in time to catch the last part of the service.
“The Potter’s House” wasn’t just the largest youth group in Canada at the time, it was also the place to be on a Friday night. A place to fellowship, a place to worship, a place to form long-lasting friendships, and above all that–a place to be shaped by the hands of the Lord.
I’m thankful for the years I’ve spent, and still spend under the hands of The Potter, because I know that every bit of pressure and every push and pull is His way of shaping me into the image of His Son.
In 2 Corinthians 4:8, Paul writes, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.” (NIV)
The meaning of “hard pressed” we see in that verse is exactly that. It comes from the Greek word thlibō (Strong’s G2346) which means “to press.”
God’s hands are a much needed pressure, but even so they’re gentle enough not to break us.
If you’ve ever stomped grapes (I have oddly enough) you know what kind of pressure that takes–not too much, but just enough.
For centuries, stomping grapes was the method used to extract juice from the fermented grapes. Grape stomping works because the pressure from human force is gentle enough so the seeds won’t break-creating bitterness. (https://www.mountainrosevineyard.com)
Isn’t that how it feels on those days we’re afflicted? Troubled, hard pressed, constrained… Paul felt that way too, but he also knew the importance of being clay in His hands, which is why he rejoiced in the midst of his trials. He knew that every bit of pressure and every push and pull was God’s way of shaping him into the image of His Son.
I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. (Jeremiah 18:3-4, NIV)
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Tilling the Soil
Read Jeremiah 18:1-6.
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I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. (Jeremiah 18:3-4, NIV)
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Darlene Schacht and her husband Michael live in Manitoba Canada where the summers are beautiful and the winters are cold. Together they’ve come to learn that relationships aren’t always easy, but that marriage, the way God intended it to be, is a treasure worth fighting for.
She began her publishing journey about twelve years ago when she pioneered one of the first online magazines for Christian women, known at the time as “Christian Women Online Magazine.” After three years, Darlene left CWO to blog as a solo author at Time-Warp Wife Ministries.
It was also during this transition that she worked alongside actress Candace Cameron Bure to write the NYT Best-Selling book, Reshaping it All: Motivation for Spiritual and Physical Fitness. Reshaping it All was the winner of both the 2011 USA Best Book Awards and the 2012 Christian Reading Retailers Choice Awards.
Author of more than 15 books, Darlene continues to write and to minister to her readers through her blog at TimeWarpWife.com.
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You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife