Turning Marred Pots Into Marvels

A beautiful mural that stretches across the wall, that blends colors and shapes, a sculpture in the park, or a food display created by a world renown chef. All these things capture our attention. We are mesmerized by the beauty and skills of the artist. But have you wondered how these masterpieces were created?

There was once a famous master potter. Let’s call him Jim. He was the go-to guy for all pottery needs in his town. Jim’s pots were used in palaces, weddings, and national events. His team carefully took his pots, painted and decorated and packed them for their destinations.

But there was one pot that had a problem. It was marred, disfigured and destined to be ignored.

Jeremiah 18:4 (NIV): But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands;

In our hustle-and-bustle world, fixing what’s broken often takes a backseat. In a factory, anything out of line usually ends up in the trash. For an artist, a mistake might mean reaching for a fresh canvas. A worn-out pencil? Easily replaced with a shiny new one. And when it comes to vehicles, the old ones make way for newer, sleeker models.

But this pot wasn’t in our hands (thankfully!). It was in the hand of someone better than Jim – God! He was patient with it. He had invested considerable amount of time finding the soil in the mountain area, carefully removing the rocks, and adding just enough water to make the clay. He wasn’t going to give up on this pot. The next part of that same verse says:

So the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

The pot now has hope! It has a new chance at life. It shall no longer be called ugly, outcast, or useless. The Master has a new plan for the pot. We are not told why the pot was marred in the first place but what matters is that the Master saw the plight of the pot. He knew that this pot still had potential. So he created a new masterpiece out of the marred vessel.

Today I want to remind you that you too have hope! Paul, Peter, Jacob, and Moses are some examples of marred pots that were turned into shiny new pots.

So be encouraged as you remain in the Master’s hands. He has a plan for you! Commit your brokenness, limitations, and failures to Him. He can transform them into something beyond your dreams.