6/28/25 In the Masters Hand

We reflect on last weeks teaching with an understanding that even when we were formless the eyes of God were on us. Not only were his eyes on us, he formed our souls, formed our bones while we are coming to be in our mothers womb.

The tragedy of the human condition is the level of truths we are dealt. Let me spell this out. God himself formed us (Ps 139) for a distinguished purpose, set apart for the Creator, but sadly we are also dealt with the sin nature.

The sin nature is a part of your creation, but not just yours, all of us are affected by the reality of simply being alive. There is a portion of theological teaching over the original sin called hamartiology. Fascinating topic not what we are teaching on today but it bares an understanding that we sin because we do not listen to what the Lord wills and disobey. Many beliefs of our fallen nature and the reason why negative occurrences happen to us. Regardless many of us respond by complaining, right?  Some of us do not like the hand we are dealt and talk back to God. Paul addresses this.

 Romans 9:20-21““But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”

Context is king. We learned from Psalm 139 last wk that we were formed from the earth (ties to Gen 2) in the womb and even before that God had a vision for us forming our soul. Mind will emotions already with the knowledge of the span of your life not bc predetermined but bc he sees how messed up we will become how culture will impress upon us and cut short what he intended. He is speaking of God’s people here from the Old Testament but it applicable to the rest of us. We rebel and we complain at the mess we get in or what is dealt to us from an unjust world. But we lose track of our position in this.

All are creatures of God & whom he had a vision for to fulfill specific purposes & interact with others. We are all made in God’s image as spiritual creatures. Yet we are housed in temporary physical matter. Things happen in our lives whether by our design our as matters of circumstance & we believe it is a mistake.

Sometimes we get too caught up in comparing our lot to others, seeing our short comings & we go to the Lord and ask the question in this verse. These shortcomings are not just physical. It is opportunities. It is finances, relationships where we do not fit in & ask why did you make me like this? We cannot have it both ways. Our theology cannot say God is in control & also believe that we have free will. We cannot say some people are lucky & also say God has total control over us like robots.

But this is more than just a warning to not be so prone to complain. Since context is king, this pertains not to circumstances but to how we are made. Remember this declares what is taught in Psalm 139, he formed us & creation is asking Why did you make me like this?

²¹ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

• Remember last week’s teachings from Ps 139?
• You were formed from the inner most portion of the earth.
• You were created to be molded, to be shaped.
• Last week we learned that we are all distinguished and meant to be set apart.

Clay is material. Material meant to be shaped, to be formed. To craft from and form for a purpose, whether it be to viewed or in the shape of something. You may long to be used for an extraordinary purpose and not be common, but in this world when you are allowing the Divine Hand of God to mold you shape you and design you, you are counterculture. Your purpose may seem ordinary, such as encouraging or providing but when it is the hand of God who has designed you to do this that is being set apart. You were made for special purposes and for common use.

Before we get to purpose let’s talk about what we are created to be. Let’s go back to last week. ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

• We are made to be wonderful.
• The GR word for wonderful is Palah, meaning you were set apart, distinguished.
• Fearfully is GR. Word yare’ to revere.
• In other words we are to revere the work he put into us because we have been distinguished and set apart.

The point here is that Paul is putting us on notice that it is the right of our Creator & the responsibility to form us and equip us to be capable to do the purposes that He has for us.

• The essence of faith in our Creator is the key to life, the key to use. +
• Obedience to the call of God is tied to doing so
•  bc obedience is tied to the faith that no matter what as long as you give the effort
• even if you grit your teeth he will see you through it to the completion.

Remember revering him is part of this

Revere him for the purpose for the equipping for the call to complete something he set out for you. Revere that the promise of Romans 8:28 preceded this.