Our Potter!

There are many references in scripture to potters and pottery but we will only consider one small piece of the topic this morning: God as our Father, Creator--Potter!

But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay,

and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
(Isaiah 64:8)

Watching a potter work clay on a wheel is an amazing sight. A formless lump of clay is transformed into a vessel with beauty and use through the skillful touch of the potter. The speed of the wheel is adjusted, varying pressures are applied according to the purposes of the potter and an object of art emerges from the glob. The clay is formed into a vessel of use with a design that is perfect for its purpose.

God has plans and purposes for each of us but since creation mankind has preferred to seek its own purposes! Thankfully, our Potter is patient, skilled and determined. Unlike the lump of clay on a pottery wheel, we are often not pliable subjects. We refuse to stay put and resist the hands of the Potter. We resent the pressures which shape and choose to hide in pits of isolation. We reset the wheel speed, tromping on the foot pedal erratically. We reject the Potter's purposes and seek to shape ourselves.

Eventually, though, we reach the end of ourselves; we find our purposes do not lead to fulfillment. Our Potter is there with His gentle, skilled hands reaching out. He picks us up and places us back on the wheel and begins His creation again! His hands never reject us and are always longing to shape and mold us into a vessel of His love.

What a glorious purpose for a rebellious vessel: a container for the very Spirit of God. The Potter places His love within us and allows us to pour His healing love onto other empty souls! His love is completed in the pouring and the Potter begins to mold those we overflow upon. He softens and shapes with His love; His eternal purposes flow on! Don't resist Him anymore. Trust His hand to press perfectly and His purposes to loving fulfill!

Omega

Our title of Christ today is Omega; a title you are no doubt familiar with but one with depths we can search eternally. In scripture, the title is paired with Alpha—the beginning and the end; completion—and is used four separate times by Christ Himself. It is a title that reveals the full, unending character of our Savior. It establishes Christ as Creator and Completer.


We live in a scattered world where many things are initiated and nearly as many are left incomplete as new endeavors are ever beckoning. Fulfillment is constantly sought but seldom achieved. Yet Jesus Christ, who spoke the world into being, leaves nothing undone. That which He began at creation continues; that which He completed at the Cross—our redemption--is assured. We can join in Paul’s assertion of Philippians 1:6:

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Christ’s designation as the Alpha and Omega is a comforting reminder that He is faithful. He will not leave us even when we forget Him. His enduring nature, His wholeness, is His essence. Our souls, committed to the Christ are created and complete in Him. He is the author and the finisher of our faith. There is peace and rest in understanding Jesus as the Alpha and Omega.

Jesus is the fulfillment every soul seeks. He is the completion of every desire. May we live with a moment by moment recognition of this title of our Lord!

Name Above All Names

What a joyful look at Christ today! It is a daunting task to even seek to write a devotional on such an awesome title. In the days of scriptures, names were seen as embodying the essence of one's character. Probably all of us know the 'analysis' of the names we use of Jesus...Yahweh saves; Christ, Messiah; Immanuel, God with Us. There are books written which simply list the names of Christ in scripture...my prayer journal contains pages of His names. He is God, greater than our finite minds. In Revelation we are told that He has a name written on Himself which no one else knows. Our text today, though, gives us a glimpse of the glory of Jesus:

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

Our glorious Savior will one day be seen fully in all His glory...and as the song says, What a day of Rejoicing that will be!

Before we leave this glimpse of Jesus, we need to consider with awe the power of the name of Christ. Praying in His name, serving in His name--in the essence of Jesus--is victory! Jesus tells us in John 14:13 that whatever we ask in His name, He will do. Astonishing! Faith in the person of Christ gives sight, gives strength, gives healing...gives life: abundant life! May the sweetness of His name fill your soul with joy today.

Mighty God

Isn't this the perfect title of God to consider on Easter weekend! Mighty God. We know it but oh, how often we forget it. This title has no intricacies, no hidden meanings and it is woven throughout scripture. Its truth is obvious whenever we consider the works He has done...the world around us, our own human bodies, the changes in our hearts. 'Mighty God' is used in verses which speak of God's authority, His judgments, His acts, His love and His deliverance. It is a part of the prophesy Isaiah made of Jesus Christ. Like Peter, we see the truth and seek Jesus--only to be terrified by the waves which crash upon us! Jesus, Mighty God, is always there reaching out His hand and lifting us to the joyous hope of Resurrection life.

The One who spoke creation into being, who closed the mouths of lions, who healed the lame and raised the dead is the One who loved us so much, He paid our debt and restored us to the source of power! Romans 6:4 tells us it was the glory of God which raised Jesus from the dead. The power of God flows unabated through time; He is unchanging. His Spirit dwells within those who believe with their heart; don't leave the truths of God in your mind. Live them!

May the victory we celebrate on Easter morning, fill your heart moment by moment with hope and joy. The glory of our Mighty God still gives life...grab hold!