There seem to be a lot of people these days who have questionable addictions: drugs, alcohol, tobacco, video games, television, cell phones, texting, computers, work, greed, sports, and bad language — just to name a few. Whether any one of these is a sin is in many cases a matter of opinion, but if we are addicted to anything, it is not good for us.

And many of us who are addicted may want to stop these bad habits, but we just can't. The habit has become our master, and we just can't quit. Quite often, we read about people — well-off people even — who cheat in order to make more money, more than they could possibly need or use; greed has become their master.

We ourselves may know people who are slaves to the pleasures of the world. They may have left the church, perhaps even the faith. Some would like to come back, but there are too many things to occupy their time.

We may know people who are floundering, or others who have committed serious crimes, and we might glibly say, "Oh well, there is no hope for them."

Ah, but there is always hope. Look at Jeremiah at the potter's house. The situation at that time seemed hopeless. People were not following the way of the Lord; they were doing whatever they wanted. Jeremiah was distraught; he had even wished that he were dead, because he did not feel that he was doing any good at all. And then the Word of the Lord came to him.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 – This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the Lord. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel." (NIV)

The Lord can remold and restore all of us, even when we think there is no hope for us or that other person. When we would say, "Throw it away", even then the Lord has use for all of us. We can help those who are doubting; we can keep on talking, keep on working, and keep on praying.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we ask that You would touch all of us who are floundering, that You would remold us and restore us. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

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About the author:

Joel Jongkind <austria67@bmts.com>
Meaford, Ontario, Canada
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