10/11/13

10/11/13

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, "Go down to the potter's shop, and I will speak to you there." So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. Then the Lord gave me this message: "O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand. If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would. (Jeremiah 18:1-10 NLT)

Wow, what a vision of God's wonderful plan for His people. But we think about God's plan, and usually we think about God having everything in our lives planned out. I'm not so sure about that idea. That does not seem like something God would do. God is not boring. I think that the idea of everything being planned is kinda a boring idea. God created us and gave us a thing called choice, by which He gave us freedom to live lives with Him, or without him. And I think that this passage agrees with my idea. I also think that the book of Jonah also agrees with this idea. God wants people to change, he begs them to turn to Him, but it requires our willingness, and our desire to do so. Even here, God is asking His people to change their hearts, and promises that the foretold will not become the reality if hearts are changed. It is all about a heart that is focused and centered on the Creator of the world.

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