I Don't Look Like What I've Been Through

"O house of Isreal, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel." - Jeremiah 18:6

Like most of my blogs, this is inspired by a song I have been listening to recently. As I type this I am listening to I Don't Look Like (What I've Been Through) by Deon Kipping (@ThatDudeDeon) on repeat. Very few people know my life story and they can vouch for me when I say that I really don't look like what I've been through. If I did, I would look a mess. No one would want to come around me. I would be like one of the lepers before being healed by Christ or the woman with the issue of blood before she touched the hem of Christ's garment.


While listening to the song, I felt like I should write so I went looking for a scripture to relate to this song. As I was looking through my highlighted scriptures on YouVersion.com, I came across Jeremiah 18:1-6 and almost immediately these words came to mind "Pottery doesn't look like what it's been through either." 


A piece of pottery is made from clay and some other materials, and if you saw how this stuff looks like before it's sold in the stores, you would know it looks a hot mess. I don't know the details of the process of making a pot or vase, but I do know is that the clay has to go through a lot of mixing, filtering, and chopping before it can be molded, dried, glazed, and fired to look like a masterpiece.


Some people may wonder what a pot or vase has to do with what people go through. Here it is:

• A nonbeliever is the clay before it is mixed.
• Once becoming a believer, God will begin to filter the mess(water) out of your life(clay).
• The chopping process is when God starts to remove things/people from your life that are not relevant to the plans He has for your life.
• The potter molding the clay is God molding you and shaping you into the person He created you to be for His kingdom.
• The drying process is you becoming more stable in your walk with Christ, not straddling the fence but walking with God. (I'm not saying you will not fall. Romans 3:23)
• The glazing process is God's protection around you. The glaze covers the clay like God covers you from your enemy's attacks.
• The firing process is the trials and tribulations you go through. Some people like to call it "hell on earth" because that's what it feel like sometimes. Like the glaze becomes a liquid and turns into a hard glass like substance, you are broken down and become stronger.

God did not put us on this earth to be clay all of our lives. He created us to be masterpieces made in His image (Genesis 1:26). He wants to mold and shape us into those masterpieces. When you see someone going through, give them the good news that God is doing somethings GREAT in their lives despite what they're going through.

A little encouragement:

When you are going through hell and want to give up on God, say to Him, "Lord, you are the potter and I am the clay. I know that when you are finished with me I will be beautiful in your eyes and you will not have to turn you eyes away from the sin in my life. I thank you for everything I'm going through because it's all part of the process and your perfect will. You told Jeremiah to tell Israel that you wanted to mold them and I know you want to do the same for me. I surrender to you, not my will but thine be done. Have your way in my life and I will be so careful to give you all the glory, honor and praise in the midst the process. I give my life to you in Jesus name."

God doesn't want to see you miserable, He wants to prepare you for something much better. It may take years to get through each stage in the process but be encouraged and stay in the race. When Christ comes back, we will all see that our process was well worth it.

Be blessed until next time...

Sista T