On June 16, 2017, the Friday before Father’s Day on the Moment in the Word on 99.1 Joy FM in St. Louis, the DJ talked about the joy he sees in the eyes of his children when they bring him gifts they have made themselves for him for Father’s Day. His children are overflowing with pride in their creations.
That must be how God felt after creating each of us, the DJ said. The Bible reminds us: “But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8). God is the one who has formed us and shaped us and molded us into exactly what he wanted us to be. And he could not be more excited about his creation of us. He wants to show us off to the world. Each creation is precious to him.
There is joy in the creation of us. And when we don’t value ourselves as we ought, we diminish that joy. Just think of what a father does with a creation from one of his children that he has been given. He does not put it away in a closet somewhere. He sets it out in a prominent place. He puts it where people can see it and admire it.
We need to be just as appreciative of the gift of us God has created as God is joyful over us. We need to use our bodies, our minds, our abilities in ways that people can see the marvelous work of God within us. We need to do all we can to reveal how the hands of God have shaped us into who we are today—beautiful displays of his handiwork.
And let us never forget that it is God who made us, not us. We did not create ourselves. God created us. So everything we have and are comes from him and no matter how much we would like to say we are the Potter, we will always be the clay.
And God is continuing to reshape and remold us into new creations day by day that reflect his glory more and more. Don’t let yourself get rigid or hard in who you are and resist change, but be willing to always be malleable and receptive to the recasting.
And what is it that keeps clay malleable? Water! So it is with us. By daily being washed in the renewal of our Baptism, we stay flexible to move where his hands guide.
