As I mentioned before in the first post of the series, there are no right or wrong ways to study the Bible. If you go to any Christian bookstore you will literally see hundreds of books designed to enrich your Bible study experience. In the Old testament, God would often call his prophets to watch a craftsman, a creature in nature, or even people doing everyday tasks to reveal a teaching to them. The prophet Jeremiah was no different; God uses a potter to illustrate to Jeremiah how He has the power to shape and mold Israel – just as the potter has the power over the clay to sculpt it and mold it so that it matches his vision for the final product (reference: Jeremiah 18:1-6). God didn’t have Jeremiah go to a novice potter or someone who was just beginning to learn the craft; God sent Jeremiah to a potter that was established and who was considered an expert in his vocation.
Make no mistake about it; as growing Christians we all should, as the apostle Peter wrote, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby (I Peter 2:2). It is the Bible, the inspired Word of God, that should be the measuring stick that we use as our guide. Paul wrote to the church in Jerusalem that the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Want to learn more about God and your relationship with Him? Read and study the Bible. Want to grow closer to the Lord Jesus Christ? Read and study the Bible. Want to gain a hand up in your daily battle against the flesh? Read and study the Bible.
In my own Christian walk at times, and in the lives of others I’ve known, there has always been the complaint that our gifts and talents weren’t being used in church the way we thought they should be used. Too many of us want to be the “expert potter” that God uses as a means to reach and teach others; however, we don’t want to invest the time necessary in reading and studying the Bible to meet God’s standards. Yes, it is the local church, under the leadership of the pastor, that calls upon members of the congregation to be worship leaders, Sunday school teachers, and a whole host of other positions; but it is the leadership of the Holy Spirit that leads both to select those who perform those duties. If God would not select an amateur potter for Jeremiah, then why would He select an “amateur” Christian to fill roles and perform duties at the local church? Do you desire to teach a Sunday school class? Read and study the Bible. Do you want to lead a men’s or women’s prayer group? Read and study the Bible. Let God be the judge of when you are ready for such endeavors.
