Trusting God No Matter What: Surrendering to the Potter's Hands

I long to be the kind of person who trusts God without hesitation, no matter what life throws my way. But when the reality of my circumstances doesn't match the plans I had in mind, my faith can waver. In those moments, I often shift from a place of deep trust to a frantic attempt to take control. When uncertainty and pain cloud my vision, the question inevitably surfaces: *How do we truly trust a God who allows heartbreak and suffering to weave into our story?*

In Jeremiah 18, the prophet presents us with a powerful picture that helps answer this question. God had a message for the house of Israel, who had turned away from Him, fixating their attentions and affections on false gods and high places. God sent Jeremiah to the Potter's house in response to their rebellion. There, Jeremiah witnessed the Potter working clay, and through this process, he received a message from God for His people:

"Then the word of the LORD came to me: 'O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this Potter has done? Declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the Potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel'" (Jeremiah 18:5-6).**

The imagery of the Potter and the clay was familiar to the people of Israel, providing a clear picture of God's relationship with His creation. Just as the potter shapes and molds the clay, so does God shape and mold us. His hands are always at work, forming us into vessels that can fulfill His perfect plan and purpose.

However, much like the children of Israel, we often resist. Instead of yielding to God's shaping hands, we struggle against Him, trying to take control of our own lives. We question the process. We resist the pressure of His shaping. And we wonder why the journey is sometimes filled with heartbreak and pain.

 Trusting the Potter's Process

Like the clay in the pottPotter'sd, we must be shaped and formed as God sees best. The clay doesn't know what it will become; it simply yields to Potter's vision of the one shaping it. That's the same posture we're called to take as followers of Christ—a posture of trust and surrender.

But this kind of trust is hard, especially when life takes unexpected turns. When things fall apart, dreams seem out of reach, and heartbreak becomes part of our story, it's easy to feel disillusioned. We may even start questioning if God truly cares. Yet, in these moments, God invites us to trust Him more deeply.

God's promise in Jeremiah 18 is that we are in His hands. He hasn't abandoned us. He is actively shaping our lives, even through the complex realities we face. We may not understand why things happen as they do, but we can trust that He sees the bigger picture. He's crafting something beautiful out of the brokenness and doing it for our good and His glory.

Staying Moldable

Our greatest disappointments and disillusionments, those things that shake us and make us question everything, don't have to mean that all hope is lost. In fact, these are often the moments when God is doing His most profound work within us; during times of difficulty, He's shaping our character, refining our faith, and preparing us for the plans He has in store.

But staying moldable in the hands of the Potter requires something: a willingness to yield. It means letting go of our need to control and trusting that God knows what He's doing, even when we don't. It means believing that, despite the pain, God is good. And it means resting in the truth that He loves us more than we can comprehend.

We Can Trust Him

I don't know what complex realities you're facing now, but I do know this: We can trust our God. He is the Potter, and we are the Potter. His hands are steady, and His purpose for us is perfect. Even when the shaping process feels painful, we can trust He is making something glorious out of us.

So, let's commit to being women who trust God no matter what. Let's surrender our hearts to the Potter, allowing Him to put Potterus into vessels of honor for His kingdom. And let's rest in the truth that, though we may not always understand His ways, we can always trust His heart.

No matter the heartbreak or pain, we are in His hands — and His hands never fail.