A reflection on two Bible passages.
“He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.” (Isaiah 42:3, New Living Translation).
I take this to mean that God has compassion on those who are weak, struggling with sin, or oppressed.
“This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
Rise up, be off to the potter’s house;
there I will give you my message.
I went down to the potter’s house and there he was,
working at the wheel.
Whenever the object of clay which he was making
turned out badly in his hand,
he tried again,
making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased.
Then the word of the LORD came to me:
Can I not do to you, house of Israel,
as this potter has done? says the LORD.
Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter,
so are you in my hand, house of Israel.”
(Jeremiah 18:1-6, NAB revised edition)
Today I heard a new interpretation of “Whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased.” What I heard today was: God never gives up on us. He starts over, remaking what did not work out, or where we failed in some way. He fashions something new. I had previously looked at it as God giving up. But He does not throw the clay out, he refashions it.
Both of these passages give me so much hope and thanksgiving for God’s mercy. Do not be discouraged by your failings. Only ask God to make something new of you. Let Him act in you.
clarakatalin 
Do Not Be Discouraged
A reflection on two Bible passages.
“He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.” (Isaiah 42:3, New Living Translation).
I take this to mean that God has compassion on those who are weak, struggling with sin, or oppressed.
“This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
Rise up, be off to the potter’s house;
there I will give you my message.
I went down to the potter’s house and there he was,
working at the wheel.
Whenever the object of clay which he was making
turned out badly in his hand,
he tried again,
making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased.
Then the word of the LORD came to me:
Can I not do to you, house of Israel,
as this potter has done? says the LORD.
Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter,
so are you in my hand, house of Israel.”
(Jeremiah 18:1-6, NAB revised edition)
Today I heard a new interpretation of “Whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased.” What I heard today was: God never gives up on us. He starts over, remaking what did not work out, or where we failed in some way. He fashions something new. I had previously looked at it as God giving up. But He does not throw the clay out, he refashions it.
Both of these passages give me so much hope and thanksgiving for God’s mercy. Do not be discouraged by your failings. Only ask God to make something new of you. Let Him act in you.
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