The vessel that he made of clay was spoiled

... in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to him to make (Jeremiah 18:4). The Lord had sent Jeremiah to the potters house, to see him making something on his wheel (verse 3). The vessel being spoiled is a parable of Israel's disobedience,  spoiling God's plan for  Abram's descendants  to be a blessing to all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:3c). The  the Lord asks “Can I not do with you as this potter? Look Israel, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand” (verse 6)! Last day we were saying that God has a call and a destiny for each one of us. His plans are good plans, but we can mess them up through rebellion and disobedience.

As I said yesterday Jordan Peterson tells that he sees many people coming to a place of regret when things had gone wrong, and it's worse, because coming out of denial they know it's their fault, having squandered what they could have had. What is missing so often with the thought that I'm messed up is hope.  I am damaged goods, I'm a looser,  I'll never be good for anything.  At a similar point in his life David cries out “I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel” (Psalm 31:12).  Many of us can identify with this feeling. Isaiah cried out “You O LORD are our Father; You are the potter, we are the clay,  the work of Your hand” (Isaiah 64:8). Most of us have messed up, but the Lord does not throw us away, as long as we have breath, it's not too late.  He'll make us into another vessel as it seems good to Him.

God is sovereign and His overall plan to bless the nations through Israel could not be thwarted.   In many ways Israel has fallen away in that they rejected Jesus their Messiah.  “He came to His own, and His own received Him not, but to as many as received Him, He gave the right to be called the children of God (John 1:11). So then God's sovereign plan was carried out in spite of them, through their stumbling in this way.  Paul asks “have they stumbled that they should fall?” He answers no, this blindness in part happened to Israel, but only until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25a).” And now we Gentiles are to provoke them to jealousy.  This is our God!  God has not finished with Israel, for His covenant is an everlasting covenant  (Genesis 17:7). And when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,  “all Israel will be saved!” (Romans 11:25, 26).

Father,  when we mess up You do not throw us away, You did not throw Israel away,  and You won't with us either. And I pray this morning Lord for anyone out there reading this, who may have lost hope because of how badly they messed up. Let them hear the good news that it is not Your desire Lord that any should perish,  but all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  We do need to take responsibility for our lives, but while we still live,  it is not too late to come to You to repent  and be saved. For this and many other things I give You thanks and praise in Jesus Name Amen