The Potter Molds His Clay

"But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand."   (Isaiah 64:8)

 This verse, while sweet and prayerful at first glance, is actually in the middle of a huge intercessory cry in Isaiah 64.  It begins with, "Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down" (verse 1), and then goes to "But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness are like filthy rags" (verse 6) Then it suddenly stops.  "But now, O Lord, You are our Father" (verse 8).

I think many times we only like to look at the pretty verses of the Bible.  You know, the Jesus loves me verses.  And He does!  Praise God for that!!!  But I think there's another side to the Bible that so many like to forget about or glance over because it's too difficult to look at and take in.  I'm not talking about using the right language or pretending to be this way.  I'm talking about real repentance.  I'm talking about the real fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord isn't some horror movie with an alien and people die and stuff.  The fear of the Lord is clean, and usually pretty tender (although I do know that it's pretty intense as well).  It brings us closer to the Lord and helps us to remember that our ways are not like His.  It reminds us of who God really is.  He is almighty, unsearchable, unknowable, omnipotent, all-powerful, sovereign, immense, infinite, indescribable, uncontainable, unchangeable, incomparable....you, know, just like that Chris Tomlin song.  But is it just a Chris Tomlin song to us, or is it a reality?  Is God's immensity a reality to us?  Has His infinitude marked our lives?

I think that sometimes we get so involved with language and doing it because everyone else does it and it's just what we do that our hearts remain barren and our gardens remain unkempt (by garden, I mean the inner sanctuary of our hearts, where we commune with God).  Relationship becomes religion and we're no longer getting revelation and wisdom in the knowledge of God.

When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, the Lord gave them manna to eat.  He commanded them to just take for one day because He would provide for tomorrow.  But they wouldn't listen.  They tried to stock up and save the manna so that it would last.  While a seemingly responsible thing to do, this is not what the Lord asked them to do.  So, they ate what they wanted that day, and saved the rest for the next.  But, when they woke up in the morning, the manna was horribly rotten.  They did not listen to the Lord.  He said He would provide new manna each day (except for Shabbat; then they had to get enough for two days).

The Lord has enough provisions for our hearts each day.  So many times we see those who try to get a big high at a conference or during one of the feasts so it'll last a long time.  While their revelation of the Lord may be genuine, the Lord wants to give us more!  When they come home, two weeks go by, and the revelation has worn off.  This is called "coming down the mountain".  Conferences are a good thing, but the Lord uses those to throw logs on our already burning fire.  Many times He uses it to kindle the fire or rekindle it.  But we must keep the fire going!  We must not let it go out.  How can we do this?  It takes God to love God!

"And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities. But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand."  (Isaiah 64:7-8, NKJV, bold added)

 The key is this:  We clearly can do nothing on our own and no manner of stirring ourselves up makes any difference in how well we know God.  We must fear the Lord now, repent, and allow Him to do the work in us.

Well, how exactly does that work, Dolly, because I can't really see Him or anything?  How do I know He's doing anything at all?

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, he evidence of things not seen.....By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."  (Hebrews 11:1&3)

Also...

"being confident in this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ"  (Philippians 1:6)

Therefore, we should..

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-11, NKJV)

Also....

"If you love me, keep My commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."  (John 14:15)

Or...

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."  (John 15:7-8) 

I want to be Yeshua's talmidah ("student", feminine singular).  I want to be His disciple.  I want to fear His Name and obey His commands because I love Him.  "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:18-19).

I want to make very clear that God really is a God of love.  He is love itself.  If you think love is too froo-froo or hippie for the Bible, you need to check your heart and read it again.  The Old Testament is about love too.  It's not just the NT.  God really is a God that loves His children.  He truly is our Father and His Son really died on that tree for us, with us individually in mind.  If that does not bring love to your heart, and make you want to love God more, then how can you call yourself a disciple of Yeshua?

God is love, and I desire wholeheartedly to be more like Him.  But, I need the fear of the Lord to bring me closer in love.  I need my Father in heaven to hear my cries of repentance and rend the heavens and come down!  Don't leave me an orphan, Lord!  I mean that metaphorically, of course.  I actually have a dad and he's pretty awesome. :)   I need the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to guide me with conviction that I might come boldly before the throne of grace in repentance.  I need Yeshua, my Savior and Redeemer...my Friend...who died for me on that tree when I didn't deserve it.  "You owe me nothing, I deserve hell, You owe me nothing, but You've given me mercy."  The Creator and Sustainer of all things came down to this earth as a Man and chose to die that insignificant me might have life and be with Him in eternity.

How can I not give my life to this Man?  My heart leaps with joy and is humbled equally at the thought of this God-Man.

"When I consider the heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the Son of Man that You visit Him? For You have made Him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned Him with glory and honor.  You have made Him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under His feet"  (Psalm 8:3-6).  

God, I ask that You would come and father me.  I ask that You would teach me, and mold me, that I might be more like Yeshua.  Give my grace to ask, to seek, and to knock.  I want the fear of the Lord to reign in my entire being, that I would know the reality of who You are, God.  Don't let me slip away.  Don't let me become barren and dull on the inside.  I need fresh manna today!  I need more of You.  I am nothing and have nothing without You, Yeshua.  Bring me to life each day as I seek Your face.  I submit to You, Lord.  You are the Potter.  I am the clay.  I return from my wicked ways, and I pour out my love and devotion before Your feet alone.  I don't deserve anything, but You deliver me because You delight in me (Psalm 18:19).