… 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. (Jeremiah 18:2-4)
It appears that before clay was suitable for the wheel, it had to undergo pummelling by the feet. Those most useful to God are often those who have been brought low, cast at the feet of the Divine Potter. Marred clay does not mean failure—not if it remains soft and yielding; then the potter in his skill is able to work the clay into something useful. God’s choosing of us before the foundation of the world included full knowledge of our flaws. But His grace, mercy and refining power remain. When we stay humble and confess our weaknesses, He can still make us vessels useful to the Master, prepared for every good work (2 Timothy 2:21).