It would seem that Isaiah's word picture of the potter and the clay would be of comfort to us. After all, who can't find hope in the idea that God is working on them to make them something of functional beauty. But not everyone sees it that way.

And it's not just the unredeemed person who reject the idea that God is working on them. Many Christians feel the same way. Such people covet the idea they alone are responsible for every good and bad thing in their life. The idea of God making them something to his "liking" gives them the image of a puppet in the hands of his puppet-master. But Isaiah's message contradicts that imagery and exposes such a person as someone trying to escape accountability to God.

Isaiah found God's involvement in his life something to be cherished. He knew the sin that threatened to separate him from the God who loved him, would also blind him as it did others. Noting their ignorance, he reminded them that they had no redeemable quality worthy of God's love. Still, many of them didn't get it: they just couldn't conceive the idea that God was working to make their sin-worn life something of reconstructed beauty.

Countless psychologists will deal today with patients having low self-esteem. Regardless of how they got there, such individuals find it hard, if not impossible to see anything in their life but failure. No matter how much light you shine on them, they still focus on whatever darkness they can find.

It's important to deal with low self-esteem, for more than likely everyone who has ever taken his own life, has also dealt or failed to deal with his or her poor self-esteem. How do you feel about yourself? Do you have the image of the filthy rags that Isaiah said was a product of unconfessed sin? (Vs. 64:6) You should, for that is the only way to gain a proper perspective on God's positive work of redemption. Quite simply, you're not worth God's attention, but He still loves you and wants to give you a positive self-esteem of yourself that can only come through salvation.

If you're lost with no inclination to accept and return God's love, then you better get used to your image of defeat and negative self-esteem. That's because it's only the child of God who has hope in this life. Those without it are like a lump of clay hardening into the shape of sin. They have no potter to smooth out the rough edges and close the holes created by disappointment and failure.

But, if you allow the Potter to take control of your life, He can smooth your despair, mistakes, failures and frustrations and make you clean, functional, shiny and valuable. Now, who in their right mind will reject a deal like that?

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( Is. 62:7-65:25 Ph. 2:19-3:3 Ps. 73:1-28 Pr. 24:13-14 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society

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