Hands of The Potter
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Posted: May 13, 2023
Author: Leslie Wittenmyer Isaiah 1:3, New Living Translation “Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care–but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” |
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Why do we struggle so to get near to the heart of God? Some of us may get caught up in religion and therefore lack a relationship with the Lord. Maybe some of us were not always in the church and we have been raised up and influenced by the ways of the world. Therefore, our ideas of who God is may be shaped and influenced by our experiences in the world and again we are lacking a relationship with the Lord and true understanding of His nature. Some may not even believe that there is a Creator who created all things, even us, therefore also is lacking relationship and understanding of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Isaiah 1:3 (NLT) says this, “Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care–but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” Hosea 4:6 (NLT) says this, “My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.”
In the scripture from Isaiah the word “recognize” is used. In Hebrew, the word used is “know.” When I looked up the definition for “know” it wasn’t just an understanding of something, but it also said this: have developed a relationship with (someone) through meeting and spending time with them; be familiar or friendly with (Oxford Languages). We don’t know the love and care God has for us and we perish because we don’t take time to develop a relationship with Him by meeting with Him and spending time with Him! We don’t understand that the things we experience, God is experiencing in the same moment. Verse 4 says that the people rejected the Lord and despised Him. By rebelling against Him, they have abandoned Him by turning their backs on Him. We are doing to Him what the world has done to us.
Here is the catch all! God’s love for us is fervent and forever. He continues to pursue us with all the love in His heart, regardless of the pain we put Him through by rejecting Him, abandoning Him, despising Him, and rebelling against Him. In verse 5 He says, “Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured and your heart is sick.” You see the Lord’s compassion in this scripture because He is longing for us to return to Him. He does not take pleasure in sin and He is calling us to Himself by His loving kindness. I love what the Lord is saying in this same chapter verses 16-19. It says this, “’Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Come now, let’s settle this,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.’ If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat.”
If we would take the time and ask, “God, show me your heart when I read your word! Break the lies about you that have developed in my mind. Show me the truth!” When we read the word of God, our viewpoint may change, our hearts may change, because we recognize that God is love. Throughout the Bible, He is pursuing us. He is pursuing you! He is pursuing me! And He won’t stop! Jesus says in Matthew 18:12-14 (NLT), “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.”
He is calling, and He is searching for you and for me. Won’t you give Him the time to build a relationship with Him? As He is pursuing, won’t you pursue Him back?
In the scripture from Isaiah the word “recognize” is used. In Hebrew, the word used is “know.” When I looked up the definition for “know” it wasn’t just an understanding of something, but it also said this: have developed a relationship with (someone) through meeting and spending time with them; be familiar or friendly with (Oxford Languages). We don’t know the love and care God has for us and we perish because we don’t take time to develop a relationship with Him by meeting with Him and spending time with Him! We don’t understand that the things we experience, God is experiencing in the same moment. Verse 4 says that the people rejected the Lord and despised Him. By rebelling against Him, they have abandoned Him by turning their backs on Him. We are doing to Him what the world has done to us.
Here is the catch all! God’s love for us is fervent and forever. He continues to pursue us with all the love in His heart, regardless of the pain we put Him through by rejecting Him, abandoning Him, despising Him, and rebelling against Him. In verse 5 He says, “Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured and your heart is sick.” You see the Lord’s compassion in this scripture because He is longing for us to return to Him. He does not take pleasure in sin and He is calling us to Himself by His loving kindness. I love what the Lord is saying in this same chapter verses 16-19. It says this, “’Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Come now, let’s settle this,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.’ If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat.”
If we would take the time and ask, “God, show me your heart when I read your word! Break the lies about you that have developed in my mind. Show me the truth!” When we read the word of God, our viewpoint may change, our hearts may change, because we recognize that God is love. Throughout the Bible, He is pursuing us. He is pursuing you! He is pursuing me! And He won’t stop! Jesus says in Matthew 18:12-14 (NLT), “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.”
He is calling, and He is searching for you and for me. Won’t you give Him the time to build a relationship with Him? As He is pursuing, won’t you pursue Him back?
