JANUARY 15

ARE YOU A CRACKPOT?

Would you consider yourself a crackpot? Modern use of this word often means a joker or someone who doesn’t take life seriously, but historically, a crackpot was one who was eccentric, who acted outside of normal social behaviors. The term ‘crackpot’ developed from the combination of cracked and pot, and their original slang meanings. Something that is cracked is broken. In the 1600s, one of the slang meanings of cracked was a person with an impaired mind. This is because cracked was short for brain cracked. The slang for pot goes back even further, all the way to the 1400s. Back then, it could mean head. Therefore, crackpot was another way to say impaired head. But take it back to its origin, that of a piece of pottery with a crack in it, which essentially made it useless, throwaway!

A cracked piece of pottery would sadden the potter who created it. In fact, he might take it an break it further until it was returned to its natural state, sand and silica, and with the addition of water, make it into a new vessel. How much do you know about pottery? Have you ever stopped to consider how much effort goes into one single piece of ceramics or porcelain? Do you even know the difference between those two types of pottery? Although both are products of clay, the quality and value of each varies! Potters know the differences between the varieties of clay as well as the many, varied end results. Being a potter is an age-old profession, well respected in their communities for creating useful products for gathering, serving, and storage of foodstuffs or other needed materials and items.  Pottery is one of the oldest crafts found in archaeological digs and, often, shards of pottery are used to date other findings in the site.  When researching this devotional this morning, I was surprised at some of the information I found, and at the spiritual insight and application given me by the Lord.

Consider, for a moment, the potter who was multitalented: creative, purposeful, and knowledgable. He understood and recognized the needs in his community and provided the tools to meet those needs. He loved what he did, loved both the clay he handled, as well as the end products. Does this sound like anyone you know? Our God is omnipotent – “able to do everything” according to the dictionary, which equates to, and surpasses, multitalented. “And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause.” (2 Corinthians 9:8 GNT). He made the universe and all its inhabitants so we call Him the Creator; He is creative.  “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”  (Genesis 1:1  KJV). 

As far as being purposeful, we read in the scriptures that He planned everything before creation, even down to the contingency plan of salvation through the Lamb, who was Jesus; God had a purpose for everything – was purposeful!  “The Lamb is the one whose death was planned before the world was created.” (Revelation 13:8 NIRV). And scripture says that He is omniscient – all-knowing – so He is definitely knowledgable! “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 MSG). He understands the human condition and always provides us ways to deal with the unexpected, traumatic, or even just everyday stresses. Most of all, he loves us from before we were born until time eternal!  “Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 ERV).  

Now look at the material used by the potter. Without getting into scientific terms, the appearance of the material determines its usage. Clay, like humans, comes in many different colors from the red clay found in Southern United States to yellow, bluish-gray, and nearly white clay, such as is found in my husband’s country of Barbados.   Not all clay is useful for pottery, however; the percentage of sand particles and water to the percentage of the actual phyllosillicate mineral deposits that we call clay, determines its usage. The purer the clay, that is, the less sand and water, the nicer the end result. Because of this, potters have three classifications of useful clay: earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. For those familiar with dishes, these name are recognizable as types of table ware, with porcelain being the nicest, most expensive, and comes from the purest clay. To help purify various clays, the potter works it, kneads it, and uses various techniques to remove impurities which include air bubbles and excess water. Air bubbles contribute to fragility of the final product, and too much water can cause the item to not hold its shape to completion.  

To wrap it up, to summarize, we have a Master Potter who knows from before we are born what His plan is for our lives. “I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope.”  (Jeremiah 29:11 CEB). When we accept the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus, He accepts us as we are, however imperfect. He takes the cracked pot, sometimes allowing us to experience trials that break us down until we recognize our need for Him. Then Jesus molds us into the creation He originally had in mind for each of us. The trials pound us, life events knead us, and the fire finishes us, preparing us for His kingdom!

The Potter Knows the Clay

“I know you are going through the fire.

Its getting hard to stand the heat 

But even harder is the wondering 

Is God’s hand still on me.

Its lonely in the flame

When you’re counting days of pain.

But the Potter knows the clay, 

How much pressure it can take,

How many times around the wheel,

‘Til there’s submission to His will.

He’s planned a beautiful design 

But it’ll take some fire and time.

Its gonna be okay,

‘Cause the Potter knows the clay.

Friend, I just came through that fire

Not too very long ago.

And looking back I can see why 

And that my God was in control. 

On the hottest day I’d cry 

Oh Lord, isn’t it about time.

But the Potter knows the clay, 

How much pressure it can take,

How many times around the wheel,

‘Til there’s submission to His will.

He’s planned a beautiful design 

But it’ll take some fire and time.

Its gonna be okay,

‘Cause the Potter knows the clay.

He’s planned a beautiful design 

But it’ll take some fire and time.

Its gonna be okay,

‘Cause the Potter, He knows the clay!”

“But now, Lord, you are our Father.  We are the clay, and you are our potter. We are the work of your hands.” (Isaiah 64:8 GWT). Have a blessed day!