Shaped by God 由上帝塑造

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Dexu Xia

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Mar 25, 2025, 9:31:30 PM3/25/25

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Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand. Jeremiah 18:6

Today's Insights It’s a dangerous misconception that the God of the Old Testament is angry and judgmental, while the God of the New Testament is loving, merciful, gracious, and forgiving. We see abundant evidence of God’s grace and mercy throughout the Old Testament. God said through His prophet Jeremiah, “If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be . . . destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent” (18:7-8). The book of Jonah demonstrates this. When Jonah brought his message of repentance to the degenerate city of Nineveh, its citizens heeded God’s warning and were spared (3:4-10). In Jeremiah, God offers a similar opportunity to Judah (18:11). These are just two examples of God’s love and mercy in the Old Testament. God’s character is consistent. He loves His children too much to permit them to persist in sin.

Today's Devotional Dan Les, a lifelong potter, creates decorative vessels and sculptures. His award-winning designs are inspired by the town in Romania where he lives. Having learned the craft from his father, he made this comment about his work: “[Clay needs to] ferment for a year, to have rain fall on it, to freeze and thaw out [so that] . . . you can shape it and feel through your hands that it is listening to you.”

What happens when clay “listens”? It’s willing to yield to the artisan’s touch. The prophet Jeremiah observed this when he visited a potter’s house. He watched as the craftsman struggled with a vessel and finally reshaped it into something new (Jeremiah 18:4). God said to Jeremiah, “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand” (v. 6).

God has the ability to build us up or bring us down, yet His ultimate purpose isn’t to overpower or destroy us (vv. 7-10). Rather, He’s like a skilled craftsman who can identify what isn’t working and reshape the same lump of clay into something beautiful and useful.

Listening clay doesn’t have much to say about this. When prodded, it moves in the desired direction. When molded, it stays in place the potter wants. The question for us is this: are we willing to “humble [ourselves] under God’s mighty hand” (1 Peter 5:6) so He can shape our lives into what He wants them to be?

Reflect & Pray How are you listening to God today? What do you think His purpose is for refining you through your life’s experiences?

Dear God, please help me to trust Your plan is the best for me. I want to submit my life to You.

by Jennifer Benson Schuldt.

“泥在窑匠的手中怎样，你们在我手中也怎样。”耶利米书 18:6

今日经文 耶利米书 18章1-10 节

今日心得有人认为旧约中的上帝是愤怒和审判人的，而新约中的上帝是慈爱、仁慈、宽容的，这是一个很危险的误解。我们在旧约中看到了上帝恩典和怜悯的大量证据。上帝藉着他的先知耶利米说：“我何时论到一邦或一国说，要拔出，拆毁，毁坏。我所说的那一邦，若是转意离开他们的恶，我就必后悔，不将我想要施行的灾祸降与他们。”（18:7-8）。约拿书证明了这一点。当约拿将他的悔改信息带到堕落的尼尼微城时，那里的居民听从了上帝的警告并幸免于难（约拿3：4-10）。在耶利米书中，上帝也为犹大提供了类似的机会（18:11）。这只是旧约中上帝之爱和怜悯的两个例子。上帝的性格始终如一。他太爱他的孩子了，以至于不允许他们继续犯罪。

今日灵修 丹·莱斯是一位终身制作装饰器皿和雕塑陶艺家。他屡获殊荣的设计灵感来自他居住的罗马尼亚小镇。他从父亲那里学到了这门手艺，他对自己的作品发表了这样的评论：“[粘土需要]发酵一年，让雨水落在它上面，冻结和解冻[这样]…你可以塑造它，并用你的手感觉到它在听你说话。”当粘土“听话”的时候会发生什么？它愿意屈服于工匠的触摸。先知耶利米在拜访陶工家时观察到了这一点。他看着工匠费尽心机制作器皿，最后将其重塑为新的东西（耶利米书 18:4）。上帝对耶利米说：“泥在窑匠的手中怎样，你们在我的手中也怎样”（6节）。

上帝有能力建立我们或打倒我们，但他的最终目的不是压倒我们或毁灭我们（7-10节）。相反，他就像一个熟练的工匠，可以识别出哪些地方行不通，并将同一块粘土重塑为美丽而有用的东西。倾听的粘土对此没有太多话可说。当被催促时，它会朝着期望的方向移动。当被塑造时它会留在陶匠要它待的地方。我们的问题是：我们是否愿意“在上帝大能的手下谦卑自己”（彼得前书 5:6），以便他可以将我们的生活塑造成他想要的样子？

反思和祈祷你今天如何聆听上帝的声音？你认为他通过你的人生经历来磨练你的目的是什么？

亲爱的上帝，请帮助我相信您的计划是最好的。我要把我的生命交给你。