For 3 or 4 days that hymn "Have Thine Own Way Lord" has been going through my mind often. In the morning I listen to old hymns on You Tube before I begin my Bible reading and study every day, and that is one hymn I have listened to frequently. Have you ever had a tune pop up in your mind and it won't let go? I felt compelled to do a post here about letting God have His own way, as well as Bible verses about the Potter and the clay. Let's begin with a 5 minute video (below) with quoted Scriptures while showing a potter molding and shaping a clay pot. It is interesting and inspirational.
When I was a child, the artist/singer Jim Reeves was popular. My mother, but especially my stepfather, liked Country Music which I had no choice but to listen to. I grew to enjoy the songs by Jim Reeves.....there is something unique about his voice. Following is his version of the hymn "Have Thine Own Way, Lord" ;
To let the Lord have His own way, we need to first know what His way - His Will - is for us individually as well as for the nations Almighty God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the nation of Israel and likened Himself to a Potter, with Israel being the clay. You might like to read Jeremiah 18 and 19 for some background.
"The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, (2) Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. (3) Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. (4) And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. (5) Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, (6) O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel." - Jeremiah 18:1-6
Jeremiah knew that not only did this refer to Israel, but to himself and to each individual as well....that we believers are going to be molded and shaped by our Heavenly Father, to conform to His will for us. That means He wants us to be more Christ-like. "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn amongst many brethren." - Romans 8:29. "For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps." - 1 Peter 2:21 .
"Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: For shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?" - Isaiah 29:15
Romans 9:20-21 tells us, "(20) Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? (21) Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?"
Who are we puny humans to defy God? To purposely disobey Him by being stubborn and self-willed? God is the Sovereign of the universe and He is in control, not us. It all boils down to surrendering all to God/Jesus and putting His will first in our lives. There is a previous post here about how to surrender all to God . The main thing is to simply obey Him in all matters, putting God's will first as I stated previously. We learn to know His will by prayer and by reading His Holy Word. The Lord shapes us and molds us so that He may use us in His service. That especially includes witnessing about Jesus to lost souls. 1 Timothy 2:4 tells us that God's will is to "have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."
God loves us just as we are right now, but because of His love He continuously molds and shapes us into "vessels of honor", so we can be filled with His Holy Spirit and live lives that bring Him glory and honor This growth process is a continual, daily process of molding and changing us. If we "mess up" take comfort in the knowledge that you are a child of God and He is disciplining you and forming you - patiently - into a godly and more Christ-like child.
God will use other people to help mold you, and He will use His Word as well. He is patient with you, and you need to realize His love in order to behave in a manner of gratitude, obedience, reverence, and to love Him in return. Surrender all to Jesus; be totally and wholeheartedly committed to Him and His will, and you will be blessed.
"One of the most arduous spiritual tasks is that of giving up control and allowing the Spirit of God to lead our lives." - Henri Nouwen
"We are either in the process of resisting God's truth, or in the process of being shaped and molded by His truth." - Charles Stanley
