Clay in the Potter’s Hand

Jeremiah 18:1–6
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
2 “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.”
3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel.
4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me:
6 “Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel!”

The image of God as the potter and His people as clay in the Creator’s hand appears repeatedly in Scripture (Isa. 29:16; 45:9; 64:8; Rom. 9:21). It carries the idea of transformation. The Christian life is a process in which God gradually transforms us into the likeness of Jesus (Rom. 8:29–30). This, however, does not happen without our participation. Life will shape us one way or another, but usually not for the better. Why does one person become a masterpiece, while another remains like a shapeless lump of clay? The issue is not God’s sovereign will, but the fact that one allowed the potter to shape him, and the other did not. By the end of life, every person is the sum of their own choices.

Transformation is often unpleasant and frequently painful. Let us now look more closely at the methods the heavenly Potter uses to change us.

The Design

Before the potter begins his work, he must design a plan. God has a design for our lives. He has called and chosen us before we were born (see Jer. 1:5; Ps. 139:13–16; Gal. 1:15). Our task is to discover this purpose, not to invent it ourselves. God’s plan for us is always the best. We were created by God and for God, and our lives belong to Him.

Pray that God would reveal to you who He has called you to be. Dedicate yourself fully to Him and allow Him to shape you.

The Material

Clay has great potential, but it does not realize itself automatically. A person must decide to surrender themselves completely to God and allow their entire life (spirit, soul, body, time, money, relationships, etc.) to belong to God as material He may use as He sees fit.

Water

Without water, clay cannot become soft and moldable. Water symbolizes the Spirit of God (see John 7:37–39). The heavenly Potter pours His Spirit onto the hardened human heart and begins to soften it. It is not enough for water merely to be poured on top—it must be kneaded into the clay. God does not want to pour His Spirit only over us in church, but desires that every area of our lives be filled with His Spirit.

“Water treatments” are pleasant and refreshing. God feels close, prayers are answered quickly, and faith is exciting and alive. If only the entire Christian life were like this!

On the Potter’s Wheel

Once the clay is softened, it is placed on the potter’s wheel, which begins to spin rapidly. It feels as though we have lost control and uncertainty dominates our lives. This is not pleasant. We are pressed from all sides and want to escape the wheel. Stay where you are, because this is where God is shaping you.

We do not know how long this will last, but we do know that the heavenly Potter’s eyes are upon us, and His hands are shaping us both from the outside and from within. God is not interested only in external change; He desires to transform us internally as well. His hands surround us, while the world around us seems to spin.

The potter is in control. He does not shape the clay too thin so that it collapses, nor does He spin the wheel so fast that the clay is flung off. God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Cor. 10:13), but neither will He leave us unchanged.

If your life has “fallen apart,” allow God to begin again. He does not throw you away but places you back on the wheel and starts anew. Christ must be the center of our lives; otherwise, we cannot remain on the potter’s wheel, and life’s twists will throw us off.

Drying

Next, the potter places the vessel on a shelf to dry for a week. This process cannot be rushed, because clay dries at different rates on the inside and outside. Rushing would create micro-cracks that would ruin the vessel.

The drying period is a time when heaven seems silent. Faith feels dry. There may be long seasons in our lives when we do not sense God’s presence. When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, heaven was silent. At His baptism, God had declared Him His beloved Son, the Holy Spirit had descended upon Him, and heaven was open. Then heaven grew silent, and only the enemy’s voice echoed in His ears.

Many heroes of faith in the Bible spent long years “drying on the shelf.” What makes this more painful is seeing the potter performing “water treatments” in someone else’s life.

Remember: waiting time is also transforming time. No stage can be replaced or skipped. Stay where you are, be faithful, and hold on to Jesus.

Bisque Firing (First Firing)

Next, the potter places the vessel in the kiln for 24 hours and heats it to 700–900°C. Our faith is tested by fire, like gold (1 Pet. 1:6–7; 4:12–13). Suffering is an unavoidable part of life in this world. It can make us stronger, but only if we pass through it trusting God.

Weights do not make an athlete strong—overcoming them does. God wants us to grow from weak children into spiritually strong adults. The presence of suffering in our lives does not mean that God has abandoned us; it is an opportunity to grow stronger.

Remember: when God does not change a situation despite our repeated prayers, He is likely using that situation to change us.

Sanding

After firing, the potter sands the vessel smooth and removes rough edges. Our lives contain many rough edges that “scratch” other people. A person may be called and anointed by God, yet be so “prickly” that instead of blessing others, they hurt them.

Often God uses people to sand us down—people who act like sandpaper to smooth us.

Proverbs 27:17
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

No one enjoys being sanded by another person. Sometimes God even uses people we do not like for this purpose. Know this: God is more interested in our transformation than in our comfort.

Glazing

When the vessel is ready, the potter covers it with glaze. God surrounds a person with His Spirit. The bottom of the vessel is not glazed, meaning that something human and earthly always remains in our lives. None of us is perfect, but we must clothe ourselves with Christ (Col. 3:12), so that He becomes more visible.

Final Firing

After glazing, the potter places the vessel in the kiln for 36 hours and heats it to over 1240°C. This is not a crematorium meant to destroy you. Even deeply spiritual people experience suffering and trials. Suffering will disappear only when God creates a new heaven and a new earth, but we can be certain that Jesus is with us even in the fiery furnace.

Finished

Now the vessel is ready and can be used. God desires to fill us with His Spirit so that, through us, He may pour His Spirit out upon others. The purpose of the entire process described above is to allow ourselves to be transformed into a vessel the Creator can use in His work.

God works patiently with us, skipping none of the stages in this long process. Allow Him to transform you.

Reflection Questions

Have you fully placed yourself into the hands of the “heavenly Potter”?
Which stage of this process are you currently in?
Which areas of your life are the hardest to surrender to God?
Do you desire more transformation—or more comfort?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,
I trust myself into Your hands.
Transform me to be more like Jesus.
Remove from my life everything that is not pleasing to You.
Make me inwardly strong, so that I may remain steadfast in trials.
Fill me with Your Spirit and make me a blessing to others who need Jesus.

In the name of Jesus, Your Son.

Amen.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Allan Kroll

Allan Kroll is a Christian teacher, preacher, and spiritual writer whose work is marked by deep biblical grounding, spiritual clarity, and a strong call to personal repentance and wholehearted devotion to God. At the core of his message is an authentic, living relationship with God rather than formal or superficial religiosity.

Kroll’s teaching is firmly rooted in Scripture and historic Christian faith. He addresses challenging themes such as the condition of the heart, spiritual complacency, self-deception, and the necessity of continually seeking God. His style is direct, pastoral, and spiritually penetrating.

Allan Kroll’s writings consistently call readers beyond surface-level faith toward a lifelong pursuit of God with their whole heart.