“…Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand…” Jeremiah 18:6 (NIV)
Parenting is tough work, and there is no playbook or algorithm to give options when one style or the other does not work. Our frustration has its source in sometimes defining our vision for our children instead of yielding to God’s hand. With limited control over the journey to adulthood, what can we do?
Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NIV) gives us insights into God’s plan and process concerning our children:
“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.”
Note how the clay was marred, but the potter, in his creative power, could correct and protect his design. It wasn’t lost. This is the assurance from the God of Israel, our God.
Our children are destined for leadership duties in their future families, communities, and nations. The journey may not be without crooked paths but let us parent with the potter’s hand offered from on high (God’s). Pray today that God’s manifest purpose and power will remain over your children’s lives, no matter where they are or what they are going through, in Jesus’ name.
Read: Isaiah 64:8; Romans 9:21
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 56; John 4:27-42; Judges 2:6-23; Judges 3
