Crushed to Perfection

I remember watching a pottery-maker skillfully create beautiful vessels out of a lump of chaos some years back. The artist would take a lump of clay, plop it on the potter’s wheel and before long an object of beauty and creativity would begin to appear.

But, there were times he apparently didn’t like what was happening and he would crush the vessel back into a lump of clay and start over. He was determined to create a vessel that he considered to be beautiful and perfect. I realized quickly that he was willing to crush his almost finished creation in order to create vessels of perfection.

As I was thinking about this, I began reading what the LORD had told Jeremiah concerning His people. He told Jeremiah to: “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there. So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over” (Jeremiah 18:1-4 NLT). When you consider He is talking about His own people, the actions seem a bit drastic? But GOD is willing to take drastic measures to create perfection.

I then considered the words of Solomon written in Ecclesiastes. Speaking about GOD, he said: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ec 3:11 NIV). I began to understand we serve a GOD who is not content with mediocre. He will take His creation and crush it over and again until He is satisfied with the outcome.

I began to consider my own life. I thought about all the times I ventured off on my own—doing my own thing. Have you ever been there? You begin to think you can do this thing called life on your own, only to find you really mess it up?

I would finally venture back to GOD and He would crush me back to a lump and begin once again shaping and molding. Life has taught me that GOD is not satisfied with mediocre. GOD desires to create beauty and excellence in all things. When you fail to be all GOD has created you to be and yet adopt an attitude of satisfaction, you are living outside GOD’s will and desire.

GOD is willing to take you as you are and crush you in order to bring out complete perfection in you. Quit being satisfied with less than the best. Allow GOD to do His work in you in order to create perfection and beauty.

Scripture Reading: “The LORD rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. The LORD rewarded me for doing right” (Psalm 18:20-24 NLT).

Prayer: Father, I know my life is not always pleasing to You. I know You seek to create something beautiful out of my life but I often find myself content to be less than the best I can be for You. Please forgive me. Please take my life, crush it if necessary, and bring forth an object that You consider to be beautiful and useful. I give myself over to Your will. Thank you, LORD, for loving me and caring about me even when I venture away from You. Thank you for drawing me back. I love You!…In Jesus’ name…AMEN!