“Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear my words. 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was making a work on the wheels. 4 When the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” Jeremiah 18:2-4
I am a plant mom! I love flowers and plants, and recently, I bought a few pots for my new baby plants to put in my kitchen. This week, I placed them all by the window to get some sunshine, but the pot fell and broke. As I picked up the broken pot, I thought about it never being able to be used for its purpose again because it was broken up in too many pieces. Trying to see if I could salvage anything to put back together, I quickly relented because the pot had broken into too many pieces for me to glue it back together. If I have a craftsman to give the broken pieces, I am sure that he would know exactly what to do. Maybe, he would use tools such as, epoxy, PVC pebbles, resin pellets, or rice, and clay. All to repair it for use again. He may leave the same integrity of the pot or remake it for different uses, but it will be complete and prepared for its purpose.
But then I thought about myself and so many individuals who have either fallen and suffered brokenness or have been broken at the hands of someone else, family, a spouse, a job, friends, colleagues, an institution, their leaders, church, or just life, and now believe that they will never be looked at or valued for use again. Are you ready for a beautiful reality check? Man will never be able to restore like God can! So in times of brokenness I repeatedly ask myself, “Can a broken pot or vessel piece itself back together again?” God says I am His vessel but how will it know where to find my broken, shattered, and scattered pieces? And if I do find them, how will I know which pieces should be glued together? The Lord’s one and only answer every time is because we are His precious vessels, the work of restoration cannot be done by man because, “…With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 9:26. That’s right, with God, anything is possible, but the key is to give Him all of our broken pieces. The day we realize that we or anyone else do not have the ability to put ourselves back together, is the first day of change and the journey to healing and restoration.
“The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!” Lamentations 4:2
The road to healing begins with acknowledging that only God can hold our broken pieces, and put us back together again, because He is the one who made us in the first place. He is our Creator and therefore man will never be able to restore like God can. And His promises are true. He will turn what seems to be an end into a beautiful next chapter if we hold on to Him. The Apostle Peter gives us one of these promises in 1 Peter 5:10, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” Believe God and His promises because He will not throw you away or reject you if you cry out to Him for help. Be honest and tell Him about your broken state. He already knows but your acknowledgement of it will show Him your ability to see the reality of your condition.
Take time today to give your brokenness to God, and just watch what He will do!
We all have gone through times where we have been broken and felt rejected and useless, but surrendering to the Lord places us in the BEST hands. And even though in your healing some will not celebrate with you; they won’t be able to deny the power of God in your life. The wonderful thing is that, although it may take some time, when He is done putting you back together again and plants you in places for great use, the Holy Spirit will fill you will joy and laughter. I am a witness that you will sing and dance, giving praises to God for His restorative grace through the blood of His Son Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior.
- “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.” Psalm 30:11
- “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:12
- The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6 And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. 7 Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. Isaiah 61:1-7
- “But now, the LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8
- “For I will restore health to you, and I will heal your wounds, says the Lord, because they have called you an outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no one seeks after and for whom no one cares.” Jeremiah 30:17
- “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
- “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2
- “Who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:21
- “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
