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
Some time ago I visited the beautiful city of Florence, Italy. At the top of my list of things to see was Michelangelo’s statue of David. Housed in the Galleria dell’Accademia, David was bigger than life, standing over 14 feet tall and weighing more than 6 tons. Just gazing on this masterpiece in person was phenomenal. To see the exquisite detail in the carving was amazing.
Although Michelangelo is credited for this masterpiece, and rightly so, the history of this famous statute began many years earlier when this massive block of marble was quarried. Two other artists worked on this project, but neither made much progress. Neglected and exposed to the elements for 25 years, the chunk of marble was given to Michelangelo to complete. Chiseling the fine features and life-like detail consumed more than two years. In 1504, after 40 years in the making, this now world-famous masterpiece was complete.
Sometimes I feel like that marble statue of David. Not the masterpiece. The work in progress. A large piece of rough-hewn stone, being chiseled and hammered. With each precise carving, I feel the pain of disappointments, loss, and grief. Sometimes, just like the marble that was to become David, I feel abandoned to the elements, those circumstances that seem beyond my control.
The Bible says we are the clay and God is the potter. Just as a master craftsman takes a simple lump of clay and stretches it, pulling it in many directions, and ultimately firing it in a kiln, God takes us as we are, tugging and growing us as He refines us in the fires of life here on earth. The problem comes when we, as the clay, don’t like being poked, stretched, and prodded. We can’t see the vision of the end result. The chiseling process is simply painful, sometimes more than we can bear. Yet chiseling has a purpose – to create in us the character, the faith, and the strength to endure. To be the beautiful person God wants us to be – whole, healthy, and healed. Just like Michelangelo envisioned his David as it would be someday, God sees us as who we will one day become - His masterpiece, lovingly created by the Master’s hand.
Dear Heavenly Father, You are the Potter. Help me remember that I am the clay. Give me even a tiny glimpse of the vision You have for me. Bestow in me the strength to endure the chiseling process as You make me into who You want me to become. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Copyright © 2015 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Some time ago I visited the beautiful city of Florence, Italy. At the top of my list of things to see was Michelangelo’s statue of David. Housed in the Galleria dell’Accademia, David was bigger than life, standing over 14 feet tall and weighing more than 6 tons. Just gazing on this masterpiece in person was phenomenal. To see the exquisite detail in the carving was amazing.
Although Michelangelo is credited for this masterpiece, and rightly so, the history of this famous statute began many years earlier when this massive block of marble was quarried. Two other artists worked on this project, but neither made much progress. Neglected and exposed to the elements for 25 years, the chunk of marble was given to Michelangelo to complete. Chiseling the fine features and life-like detail consumed more than two years. In 1504, after 40 years in the making, this now world-famous masterpiece was complete.
Sometimes I feel like that marble statue of David. Not the masterpiece. The work in progress. A large piece of rough-hewn stone, being chiseled and hammered. With each precise carving, I feel the pain of disappointments, loss, and grief. Sometimes, just like the marble that was to become David, I feel abandoned to the elements, those circumstances that seem beyond my control.
The Bible says we are the clay and God is the potter. Just as a master craftsman takes a simple lump of clay and stretches it, pulling it in many directions, and ultimately firing it in a kiln, God takes us as we are, tugging and growing us as He refines us in the fires of life here on earth. The problem comes when we, as the clay, don’t like being poked, stretched, and prodded. We can’t see the vision of the end result. The chiseling process is simply painful, sometimes more than we can bear. Yet chiseling has a purpose – to create in us the character, the faith, and the strength to endure. To be the beautiful person God wants us to be – whole, healthy, and healed. Just like Michelangelo envisioned his David as it would be someday, God sees us as who we will one day become - His masterpiece, lovingly created by the Master’s hand.
Dear Heavenly Father, You are the Potter. Help me remember that I am the clay. Give me even a tiny glimpse of the vision You have for me. Bestow in me the strength to endure the chiseling process as You make me into who You want me to become. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Copyright © 2015 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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