Montrose, Colorado

Rev. Willis A. (Bert) Jones, a country preacher

April 20, 2015

While meditating on the life of Jeremiah a few weeks ago, I was reminded of an event in his life. This event concerned God's instruction to this prophet. God said:

"Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." -- Jeremiah 18:2 (NIV)

Jeremiah traveled south to a valley outside of the city. Here he visited the potter's house and watched the potter at work at the potter's wheel. The vessel he was working on developed a flaw. So the potter smashed the flawed vessel and started over to make a perfect new vessel. God then said to Jeremiah:

"O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. -- Jeremiah 18:6 (NIV)

If we read the rest of this passage of scripture, we will note that God gives the clay, the people, the choice of repenting and doing God's will. They, like many of us are stiff necked and refuse to change. Then God has to set in motion a punishment. Oh how much easier it would have been to just repent and choose to do God's will in the first place.

(See Jeremiah 18:1-12)