If You Missed It . . .

If you missed me yesterday, it wasn’t your fault. We had to be out of the house early – and got back late. What happened reminded me of:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (2 Timothy 4:3 KJV)

No – I haven’t uncovered scripture that overturns what I perceive as sound doctrine, but Beloved Husband certainly reminded me of itching ears. He has new hearing aids. Very expensive, very technologically current, but the left one makes him reach often to his ear.  After a couple of weeks of use, the audiologist confirmed that the aid was not seating properly and was allowing feedback. For him, the sound was absolutely intermittent. No head movement, specific range, incorrect seating – the mold simply had be redone and the aid remade.

Sometimes it takes remolding, doesn’t it? Remember the Lord’s word to Jeremiah:

Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. (Jeremiah 18:2-3 KJV)

If you’ve never watched a potter cast a work on a wheel, please take time to find a video. It is a very personal work. I have cast clay in molds, and the results are pleasing. But the potter ends us touching each particle of the clay, molding it by hand as his wheel turns, matching the speed of the wheel with pressure to shape to his will. Except:

And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. (Jeremiah 18:4 KJV)

Let’s assume for the moment – an assumption because it is not part of the scripture – that there was a grain of gravel, an immalleable piece of stone that caused the mar. That I have seen happen on a potter’s wheel. The Bible does not tell us what caused the marring, though it is absolutely positive that the potter used that same clay to make another vessel simply because it seemed good to the potter to make it.

God has that prerogative with His creation.

O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. (Jeremiah 18:6 KJV)

I believe that applies to all of His creation, not simply to Israel. I believe that ties in to what Mordecai told Esther:

For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14 KJV)

Think of all the examples given of faith in Hebrews 11. Then think of other examples where God had to do a bit of convincing before His chosen vessel responded to the call. Where do we fall in this group. I know I fall to those needing convincing. I believe I’ve experienced remolding, just as the potter’s vessel, just as BH’s hearing aids. I pray for the best fit into His will.