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God is like a Potter

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"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]

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There was a prophet, Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, at Anathoth in Judea.

He bravely preached the words of God to people and prayed with tears before God for the Judean people who always committed sins.

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One day, God came to Jeremiah and said,

"Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message."

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Jeremiah obeyed the words of God and went down to the potter's house.

He saw the potter working hard at the wheel and making pots.

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The potter made the pots from clay.

When he didn't like the pots which he had made, he would break them.

He wouldn't hesitate at all to do so.

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And then he would make another pot from the clay.

He would also break it if he did not like that one.

To Jeremiah's eyes it looked alright yet the potter still broke it.

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He began to make a pot with the clay again.

He made it until he was satisfied.

Finally, the clay pot that was just right made him glad.

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God came to Jeremiah again and said,

"Jeremiah, I am the same as this potter. I can do as the potter did.

The clay is decided to become some shape by the potter.

In the same way, your country is in my control.

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Even a strong and recognized country,

I can overthrow it in a moment as the potter broke the pot.

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In another way, I can take a weaker country,

if the country listens to my words and realizes their own faults and confesses;

I can make it strong and the biggest country in the world.

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I have raised the Israelites to be the special people in the world.

Yet, if they do not follow my commands but keeping doing their habitual sins,

I will get rid of my plan. Now go and tell your people what I have told you."

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This is what Jeremiah realized after hearing God's word, even the potter, who made the pot from the clay, if the potter does not like; he breaks it in the same way as God. "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.

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Jeremiah shouted at the people,

"Come back to God. If we continue to commit sins, God will abandon us.

Repent to God and God will protect us continually."

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But the people did not listen to Jeremiah's words.

The Judean people did not quit the things that God hated.

They kept serving the idols and caused trouble to the weaker people.

They would not repent.

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Finally, the Israelites were destroyed by Babylon.

They were taken to Babylon as prisoners.

At last, they realized that God is the master of the whole world."

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Dear friends, we have always tried to study hard but we should do everything

for God to be glad. God never helps the people who disrespect God and who doesn't follow as the words of God says.

They will be destroyed in the world like the pot broken by the potter.

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Though we are weak and helpless now, if we try to listen to the words of God,

God will raise us and make us great faithful people.

Let's try to become a pot that pleases God and seeks for help from the Holy Spirit.