Firstly, I will like to take a touch at the theme "the potter's touch". One of the most important material used by the potter is the clay.
THE CLAY: The clay is any earth that forms paste with water and hardens when heated or dried. Gen 2:7 clearly shows that we were made from dust and afterwards God released His breath of life on us to make us a living being.
THE POTTER: God is the potter as stated in Isaiah 64:8: "But now O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our Potter; and we all are the work of thy hand".
It is the Potter that does the molding and shaping of the clay. The Clay is totally under His control. The clay must yield to the Potter's hand to become useful. We yield to God by surrendering our will.
Sadhu Sundar Singh worked with God and no one knows how he died till today. He is regarded as the modern day Enoch. Enoch walked with God and he disappeared, so was this man.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadhu_Sundar_Singh
WHAT MAKES USEFUL
In order to make the clay useable, you have to start with the right mixture of earth and water. There must be a perfect combination of the two element.
Physically we need food, water and air to survive but for our spiritual existence we need the word of God accompanied with prayers.
Psalm 119: 11- "Thy word have i hidden in my heart........"
Act 12: 5 - "For prayers was made without ceasing.........."
Every scripture is a molecule of power. Get intimate with the word totally.
SUB TOPIC: TREASURES IN EARTHEN VESSELS
Studying the book of 2 Corinthians carefully before God, we meet two persons - Paul in himself and Paul in Christ. There are things God told Apostle Paul which he taught and also there are some things he taught because of his opinion. He has yielded enough to the potter's touch to understand what is required of him by the potter.
Song:...God is doing something new in my life......
chorus: Please don't stop, till I look just like you
A. THE TREASURE MANIFESTED IN EARTHEN VESSELS
The special characteristics of the earthen vessel is that a treasure is put into it. The treasure overshadows the earthen vessel and manifest itself from within the vessel.
This is the meaning of Christianity,
In Paul we see a man who was afraid but yet strong,
He was troubled, but yet his heart at peace,
He was knocked down but did not die (2Cor. 4:7-9)
We see his weakness, but when he was weak, he was powerful (2 Cor. 12b)
He seemingly had nothing, but he had everything (2 Cor. 6: 8-10)
This is true Christianity.
B. GOD'S POWER BEING MANIFESTED IN MAN'S WEAKNESS
Apostle Paul had a thorn in his flesh (2Cor 12:7) which most likely represent weakness because it make him weak. He prayed three times for God to remove it but the Lord responded in 2Cor 12:8-9 that "my grace is sufficient for you".
Christianity does not eliminate weakness, but rather the Lords power is manifested in our weakness.
A great Preacher name Watchman Nee was ill and X-rayed three times with each result coming out really bad. One day he came across 2Cor 12:7 that talks about Paul's thorn in the flesh and how prayed and God increased His grace in his life. Immediately he caught the revelation he prayed for God to show him inwardly what this is all about inwardly.
He had the impression of a boat in a river which require 10ft water to navigate. However a submerge of 5ft of rock rose from the bottom of the river. If the Lord so desire he could remove the rock to let the boat pass. God now asked Watchman Nee if it could be better to remove the rock or to increase the water level by 5ft. Then he told God it would be better to increase the level of water by 5ft. And from that day onward, his difficulty were gone.
C. KNOW YOUR ASSIGNMENT
The bible tells us in Eph 2:10 that God has prepared in advance good works He has already planned for us. This means that even before you were born the potter (God) has in mind the assignment he wants to commission you to do. To carry out this assignment he has put certain treasures in you. Read 2Cor 4:7, I Cor 12:7, I Peter 4:10
Joseph gift was a gift of interpretation of dream which took him out of prison (Gen 40:9-40), Also had a gift of administration Gen 41:47-56
CONCLUSION
1. You have tried on our own accord to deal with the thorns but yet we fail. Severally we tried to fight the weakness and still didn't make it. The time has come for us to rely totally rely on God's grace which is made available in our place of weakness.
2. You are yet to discover His purpose for you in creation. The time has come
