Bo Wagner is pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church of Mooresboro, NC, a widely traveled evangelist, and the author of several books. His books are available on Amazon and at www.wordofhismouth.com

His job was generally not so difficult; pots and vessels of clay were simple creations, and he was good at it. So much so that, when God told Jeremiah to go down to the potter’s house, he did not even specify which potter he had in mind, knowing Jeremiah would know exactly who he was talking about.

For his part, Jeremiah was already public enemy number one. He had been prophesying the fall of the nation due to their rebellion, which, naturally, did not endear him to many. So, when Jeremiah came knocking in Jeremiah 18, the man had to be nervous to even be seen letting him in. Perhaps that explains the disaster that followed. This potter, expert in his craft, saw a vessel in progress ruined under his very hands.

At that point, he had a choice to make. Do I pack it in for the day? Do I maybe even decide to give up on pottery altogether? The choice he made became legendary, so much so that God used it as a picture of himself and his dealings with his people. The potter started over and remade a new vessel out of the old mess.

Not too long later, the most amazing thing happened. A public assembly was called, and Jeremiah the prophet began to address the people. He did so by pointing to the potter and telling everyone of the day that he went to his house, watched him work, and watched him fail. He then told how the potter did not give up, choosing instead to press on and remake a brand-new vessel.

The man’s mess became a message, one we are still singing about even today each time the words “But He did not despair, He started over again, and I bless the day He didn’t throw the clay away” come across our grateful lips.

This is a truth for the ages. The messy life can become a message life if we just keep going. We always think of God as the potter and us as the clay; Paul used that account that way, but we should never forget that there was a real, flesh-and-blood individual behind the story.

James spoke glowingly of the patience of Job. But that message of a life was preceded by a messy life, as in ten graves of his children, bankruptcy, total wreckage of health, brutal slandering of his character, and a marriage strained to the breaking point.

We still call David the sweet Psalmist of Israel; that which he penned three thousand years ago is still famed and sung and quoted today. But David also committed adultery, brought about the murder of a dear friend, and so failed as a father that his family would give any counselor a twitchy eye. He kept going, though; he repented bitterly, moved forward for God, and spent his last years preparing for a Temple that would last more than four hundred years, and a system of Temple worship that would last for more than a thousand.

Peter failed as dramatically as any human could fail; it really doesn’t get any worse than swearing and cursing as you deny even knowing Jesus, all while Jesus is mere feet away in the same room beginning to suffer and die for you. But the three thousand souls saved on the day of Pentecost did not know that version of Peter, nor the five thousand that got saved at one of his messages a bit later. They only knew the Peter that would later write two precious books of the Bible and be crucified upside down for his precious Lord.

A messy life can indeed become a message life, but only if you keep going.

Some of you are doubtless holding this paper in trembling hands; your life has been more messy than you ever imagined in your youth. You may have gone through a terrible divorce, or the death of someone precious. You perhaps have sinned and fallen in horrific ways. Maybe your health has been wrecked, and you cannot seem to catch a break from one doctor’s visit to the next.

You may, seeing all of that mess and fearing it will never be better, hear the whispering of the devil that you should just give up, because there is no use in even trying. He is a liar; Jesus said so in John 8:44. Ignore those hideous hisses from the serpent, and just keep going. God favors those who are not weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9) and keep pressing on (Philippians 3:13-14).

You can do it; your messy life can become a message life. I am pulling for you.

And now, let’s have a bit of fun, shall we? I would like to answer whatever Bible questions you may have, and to give a gift to anyone whose question I answer in the next column. So, whatever Bible questions you have, email me. I will do my best to answer each one personally, and for any I use in the next column, I will acknowledge the one who sent it, and I will send you a signed copy of my new book, Getting To Know The Real Jesus, the Life of Christ, Volume 1.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Pastor Wagner can be contacted by email at 2knowhim@cbc-web.org, and his books are available by clicking the Store link above.

Feature photo by Grok