The Potter’s Hands: a poem about Isaiah 64:8

Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Isaiah 64:8

The Potter holds his clay
with hands worn and wise.
Envisioning a masterpiece,
he sees shape under disguise.

He gives the clay a say,
free will, a choice in how to be made:
“Try spinning your own way or
trust my hands skilled in the trade.”

On the wheel, clay must be centered
so emerging vessels stay intact–
revolving life around Jesus
holds people together
and throws off the sin
that so easily entraps.

All clay thirsts for sustenance
to bend and to transform–
pouring water from God’s Word
continually softens and informs.

The Potter sculpts steady
molding from the inside out–
strong pressure reshapes,
gentle caresses smooth doubt.

Taller and wider,
clay expands as it spins–
pressing on to grow in faith
equates to full potential at the end.

The Potter’s work is planned,
methodical, often quiet,
and never rushed.
The attentive Creator
watches formation and
prunes when he must.

Time and trial build a rhythm
of clay’s will in sync,
of understood parameters,
and freedom from what others think.

From dust to purpose,
beauty spins as planned.
Love is crafted by surrender
when clay trusts the Potter’s hands.

~by Jamie Trunnel ©2020, ascripturedlife.com

This poem is included in my book A Soul’s Anchor, available on Amazon.

Press on in faith my friends! ~ Jamie

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Scriptures to Reference:

Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Isaiah 64:8

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Genesis 2:7

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
Jeremiah 18:1-4

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
2 Corinthians 4:7

Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
2 Timothy 2:21

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8:29

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10

Related Posts:

Riding on God’s Back
Defining Grace
How to Perform for an Audience of One
Embracing God’s Plan
Bucket Lists, God’s Plans, and the Redwood Forest

Inspiring Resources:

In the Potter’s Hands by Pastor Pat Lazovich on youtube.com
God is the Potter — We are the Clay at bible-knowledge.com
What it Means to be Clay in the Hands of the Potter at davidjeremiah.blog
What should we learn from the symbolism of the potter and clay in the Bible at gotquestions.org
What does it mean that we have treasures in jars of clay at gotquestions.org

Photo Credits: top photo–Lubos Houska via Pixabay, bottom photo–Mehrad Vosoughi via Unsplash