Master Potter

by Jill Austin

  WOUNDED FOR HER TRANSGRESSIONS

  The vision of Master Potter on the Potter’s Field, bloodied and beaten beyond all recognition, comes back to her. With it He tells her, “Was it justice for Me to be judged unfairly and innocently slaughtered for your sins? There is something greater than even justice—My unconditional love. Love keeps no record of wrongs. I suffered unfaithfulness and death at the hands of those who should have loved Me. It wasn’t just, but I chose to love and forgive My enemies. If you want to follow Me, you must do the same. Will you now choose to forgive Enchanter?”

  She remembers the day Master Potter rescued her from the Potter’s Field, how He lovingly embraced her and took her to His house. She remembers the mercy she received and how undeserving she was. Beloved receives a deeper revelation of His suffering on her behalf. Her heart starts to soften as she identifies with Him in her own betrayal and pain.

  She whispers, “Lord, I’m so angry and hurt. I have so many terrible emotions warring inside me. Even though I don’t feel it in my heart, I choose to forgive him—but only because You require it. Please help me. I do want to be like You. But I’m just not free of the pain of it all.”

  Looking down at Beloved with pleasure and immense love, He tells her, “With mercy and forgiveness comes healing, Beloved. Even though you still have anger and hatred in your heart, you made a choice to forgive. That decision released you from the enemy’s bondage in your life, and the process of healing and forgiveness can begin.”

  He begins to take off the torn, bloody outer robes and hands them to the ministering angels attending her. “Forgiveness always releases healing virtue. Now I can heal the festering wounds of betrayal in your spirit from Enchanter. This will close a door of attack from the enemy. There is no wound too deep; there is no betrayal so severe that My cross cannot heal.”

  He takes the healing oil of myrrh and anoints her. “This myrrh speaks of the sweetness that comes out of suffering and My cross at work in your life. This oil is very costly, and so is the process. It will cost you everything.”

  Suddenly, penetrating sensations of resurrection power surge through her body, releasing waves of healing energy. A miracle occurs as her bruises diminish and her swelling disappears. Her face returns to normal again. The pain leaves her fragile body, and peace floods her as she’s physically healed. The aches and pains she felt just a moment ago vanish. Her terrible fatigue is gone, replaced by a renewed strength.

  But Master Potter’s face is now distorted with her injuries. Black and blue bruises cover His face, and blood drips down into His now blackened and swollen eyes as He takes on Beloved’s wounds.

  Beloved is undone as she looks into His battered face and hears those words spoken through swollen and painful lips. “Every stone and every fist that was hurled against you, I took as well.”

  She throws her arms around Him and sobs, “Oh, Lord, how You love me.” Then she feels resurrection power flow from deep within Him as the second miracle takes place. His face becomes radiant and beautiful once again, His swollen eyes heal and the bruises disappear. He whispers to Beloved, “I’m so proud of you. I have a wonderful calling and destiny for you.”

  “But Lord, how can You ever use me? I’ve wasted ten years. I’m an outcast. I’m vulnerable and weak. Just look at me. I’ve lost my children, failed as a mother and I’m divorced. How can I ever be in the ministry now?”

  Turning her face gently toward His, He says, “Beloved, I will make a way for you where there is no way. It’s not about your strength anyway; it’s about My power in you. I designed you as a clay vessel because My power is best displayed in weakness.”

  “But I wasted ten years. Aren’t You mad at me?”

  “I knew the choices you would make in the wilderness before you ever left My house. I grieved for the pain you experienced while you were at Deeper Life, but it didn’t make Me love you less.”

  I BETROTH MYSELF TO YOU FOREVER

  “I, the uncreated second person of the Trinity, I who with My Father spoke and made the heavens, I make a covenant to betroth Myself to you—forever. I give Myself entirely to you. I don’t just give you My blessings—I give you Myself.

  “I know you don’t understand the depth and the fullness of My love for you. It’s a progressive journey of the heart. But I have paid off all your debts, and all the demands of justice have been met in My death. I have paid your dowry and I am committed to bring you into wholeness. I am preparing you to be My Bride.”

  He takes out a beautiful white linen robe and puts it on her. “Not only are you utterly forgiven, but I will restore your dignity. I will remove your shame. I make you a chaste virgin. I covenant with you forever to protect you.

  “Our relationship is not based on your failure or attainment. Our relationship is based on My mercy and My deep love for you. I will be faithful. I am trustworthy. If you are faithless, I am faithful still.

  “This is the bridal oil, spikenard, a rare and costly fragrance. I anoint you with this oil and seal My irrevocable betrothal to you with a kiss.”

  Lovely perfumed aroma emanates from her earthenware vessel, and now His fragrance is hers.

  “Beloved, it is imperative that you understand this: One of the greatest blows to the enemy kingdom is when you become confident in My unfailing, unconditional love for you. Even in your weakness, I desire you. I passionately pursue you.

  “Oh, Beloved, you do not realize the destiny you have in Me. Watch how much damage you, My weak clay vessel, My little princess, My warrior Bride can do to the enemy when you finally believe that.”

  Another angel appears holding new, shiny armor. “You must always wear the full armor of God, to resist the fiery darts of the enemy.” Master Potter gently dresses her in the armor and stands her to her feet.

  Wiping her tears with the back of His hand, He continues, “I will satisfy you. I know your dreams; I know everything about you. Watch what I can do with your life! Watch the beautiful destiny I have for you come forth!”

  She is surprised to see tears in His eyes. He gathers her into His arms and emotionally whispers, “Beloved, look at what you sacrificed for Me. You could have seen your children again if you’d only gone to Madam’s. But you chose not to compromise. I love the way you love Me. You may feel like an outcast and failure, but you are worthy to be My beautiful Bride. Just one glance of your eyes ravishes My heart.”

  Drifting off to sleep that night, she dreams of the joyous day she will be reunited with her children.

  PART SIX

  THE REFINER’S FIRE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  TROPHIES OF GRACE

  The next morning when she awakens, Beloved is pleasantly surprised to find herself no longer in the tent but in the familiar surroundings of the Potter’s House. Rubbing her eyes, she rehearses the events of her journey back to this wonderful, safe haven.

  The glowing embers in the fireplace, from last evening’s fire, have almost gone out. She looks around to see if anything has changed; and for a brief, confused moment she even wonders if her entire journey through the wilderness was only a dream. But her children are no dream, and they are gone. The familiar, wrenching pain of loss floods over her again. Looking up she sees the ancient beams of cedar and is comforted by their presence.

  TIME FOR PROMOTION

  The early morning light shines through the windows as Master Potter picks her up, saying, “Beloved, it’s good to have you home again. Now that you’ve made it through the wilderness, it’s time for promotion.”

  Carrying her over the threshold into a brick room lined with shelves, He carefully places her on a shelf with hundreds of other vessels. Glancing around from her perch on the top shelf, she sees dozens of pitchers like herself, but in various shapes and sizes. On other shelves below there are large urns and planters. On the other side of the room are plates, bowls, cups and saucers. Everyone looks like they just came from the wilderness, brown and dry.

  She turns and notices a l
arge dried-out canister next to her. “I’m Beloved. What’s your name?”

  “I’m Harvester.”

  “I’m so glad to meet you, Harvester. I’m from Comfort Cove. Where are you from?”

  “I grew up on the outskirts of Watered Down Village, next to the Valley of Indecision.”

  “I’ve never been there; I’ve only been as far south as—er—the Potter’s Field.”

  “That’s where I ended up too. I was a fisherman on The Bay of the Lost. When my boat got destroyed in a storm I got washed up on the Potter’s Field. I’m so glad Master Potter rescued me.”

  Beloved nodded, fully understanding.

  “Do you know what this room is used for? I’ve heard from other vessels around here that we’ve all been promoted.”

  Beloved smiles up at him. “Master Potter just told me the same thing.”

  A familiar-looking mug on her right pipes in, “We’ve talked among ourselves and we’ve decided that we’re definitely in His trophy room. Why else would we be displayed so prominently on these shelves?”

  Fearless, a sturdy wine carafe, butts in, “I don’t want to be a trophy. I want some action. I’m already bored sitting around here collecting dust.”

  Beloved looks back at the little squatty mug, trying to think where she knows him from, but Harvester interrupts before she can ask. “Comrade, you have so many friends and always hear the latest news. Give us the scoop!”

  Beloved continues, “For a moment I thought I knew you, but I’ve never met anyone named Comrade.”

  Awkwardly he replies, “Oh, that’s alright, I just have that kind of face. Everyone thinks I look like someone they know. We’ve probably never met, or I’d remember.”

  Suddenly, Beloved turns to him with a look of surprise as she remembers that same voice yelled at her in the Potter’s Field.

  “Wait a minute! I do remember you! Your name is Friendless! I know who you are.”

  Sheepishly, Comrade looks down at his shoes and sighs in resignation before looking into her eyes, “My name used to be Friendless, just as yours was once Forsaken—before Master Potter rescued us. I was afraid to tell you who I was, because I thought you wouldn’t want anything to do with me.”

  “Don’t be silly! All you did was yell at me in the Potter’s Field, and I forgive you for that.”

  A PAINFUL CONFESSION

  He drops his head, unable to look at her. “Listen, I did something you don’t know about, something that was just awful. But you have to understand that Mayor Lecherous was going to tell everyone about my past if I didn’t do what he wanted. I knew I’d be finished in Comfort Cove.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about! What did you do?”

  “I was the one who took Madam’s jewelry and hid it in your room.”

  Beloved’s smiling face falls into an expression of shock. Disbelief fills her eyes. “You did what? How could you? Didn’t you know what would happen to me?”

  “I wasn’t worried about you, Beloved; I was only concerned for my own skin. I don’t know why Mayor Lecherous was after you, but he said he was going to destroy you. If I didn’t help him he would ruin me too!”

  Beloved asks, “What could he possibly have against you? You seemed to be one of the most upstanding citizens, and you certainly weren’t poor.”

  The mug explained with a quivering voice, “I was addicted to gambling and skimmed money off the village’s revenue to pay off my debt at Madam’s. When Mayor Lecherous discovered what I’d been up to, I became his pawn. He forced me to set up a second set of books for him so he could steal money from Comfort Cove’s treasury. He called it ‘our little business arrangement.’”

  Comrade’s face turns bright red with shame as he looks into Beloved’s angry eyes. He gulps, and braces himself for a tirade.

  The sharp pain of betrayal stabs right into her core. Beloved is stunned and furious. Hot tears roll down her cheeks, and she can barely breathe, reliving the pain of that night and the betrayal she suffered.

  Comrade continues, “You’re not the first person he took advantage of. But I went home that night and could not sleep, knowing I had helped to ruin you. Later, I actually confronted the mayor. Me, can you believe it? I threatened to expose him. Well, he just laughed at me in that mocking way of his, and in the end he got me fired in disgrace. He planted the thought in everyone that I couldn’t be trusted with their money. He didn’t even have to say what I did. All he did was give a certain look, and they all went along with everything he said.”

  CLEANSING STREAMS OF FORGIVENESS

  Listening to Comrade, the old hurts flood her and anger is all she can feel. She blurts out, “It serves you right after what you did to me.”

  Hot tears begin to roll down Comrade’s pudgy cheeks. “I’m really sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”

  “I don’t think so. You don’t deserve it after what you put me through.”

  A warm wind swirls into the room, and Holy Spirit gently whispers, “Beloved, you’ve been forgiven much; now, you must love much.”

  “But Lord, we’re not talking about me; we’re talking about what he did to me. Why should he get off the hook and be forgiven so easily? I want him to suffer for a while. He deliberately ruined my life!”

  “Beloved, long before you ever met Comrade you ruined your own life with the choices you made. The enemy used him, but he also used you to hurt people. Are you willing to forgive him and give grace, like Master Potter did with you? You’re both very different people now.”

  “I just can’t, Lord. It hurts so much. In my heart I just hate him,” she confesses. “I’m willing but I’m not able. Lord, if You put forgiveness and grace in my heart, I’ll do it. I can’t forgive in my own strength; it’s impossible.”

  “That’s right, Beloved. You can’t forgive without My empowerment; therefore, I’ll fill your heart with compassion and forgiveness.” With those words, Holy Spirit touches Beloved’s heart once more, and a warm sensation penetrates her entire being.

  Sadly Comrade begins to walk away. Beloved sighs, “Wait a minute, Comrade. Don’t leave. I guess if I were in your shoes I probably would’ve done the same. I remember how I was in those days and the terrible things I did just to be accepted.”

  “I did that all the time. It was how I lived. I wish we could start over and I wish I’d never hidden the jewelry and caused you all that pain. Can you please forgive me?”

  “I do forgive you, Comrade—because Master Potter’s forgiven me for the way I treated people back then.”

  Little Comrade begins to jump up and down as guilt and shame fall off his shoulders. Taking her hand, he breaks out in a grateful smile, “I’d like to be your friend, if you’ll let me.”

  SOVEREIGN FRIENDSHIP

  Holy Spirit turns and whispers in her ear. He tells Beloved that her friendship with Comrade is a sovereignly chosen friendship, and just as Comrade’s name means loyal friend, so he will become one to her. Extending her hand to him she tells him, “I like your new name. It’s so much better than Friendless!” Beloved gives Comrade a warm loving embrace.

  A tear trickles down Comrade’s round face.

  Smiling warmly, Beloved says, “So much has happened to me since those days at Madam’s, but right now I want to hear about you.”

  Walking and talking together for hours, the two friends share tales of their journeys since they last saw each other on the Potter’s Field. Beloved’s heart grows increasingly warm in the presence of her new friend. She soon finds that she trusts him enough to share her painful journey about the loss of her children and failed marriage.

  A bond of friendship forms between them, and finally they join a group of vessels on a lower shelf who are in an intense debate about where they all are.

  TROPHIES OF HIS GRACE

  Steadfast, a large oval serving platter who loves to talk, yells across the aisle, “Comrade, I don’t think we’re in a trophy room! Do you think we’re in a trophy room? This looks like a
church to me. Haven’t you noticed we’re all lined up on the shelves? Row upon row, it’s just like the pews in a church. Maybe we’ll have a guest speaker; I wonder who it will be? Mark my words, it’s definitely not a trophy room.”

  “Well, obviously He’s gathered us in one place for some special purpose,” the fragile perfume vial Sweet Adoration adds in a voice so soft the other vessels must strain to hear her.

  A tall, forlorn-looking vase murmurs, “We barely survived the wilderness and it sure doesn’t look like a trophy room to me. I think it’s a setup! We’re in for more crushing or breaking or another wilderness trek. Or, we’re going to be left on the shelf for a long time again. Oh, I hated that part the most.” She moans loudly, “Oh no! Here we go again!”

  Always cheerful, Comrade rescues the moment. “That’s just Long Suffering; don’t pay any attention to her. She’s always the party pooper.”

  “Well, I can certainly see why Master Potter would promote us after all we’ve gone through,” Harvester yells out in a booming voice.

  The bantering gets louder and louder as all the vessels begin talking at the same time. Each vessel is boisterously voicing his or her opinion about where they are and how they got there.

  Thinking about her children and the people she left behind, Beloved says, “Shouldn’t we be grateful that we’re here? After all, some people didn’t make it out of the wilderness.”

  Joyful, a little wine goblet, chimes in, “Beloved’s right. Some of my friends and family are still back there. I wouldn’t have made it if it hadn’t been for Master Potter.”

  Soon the group is talking excitedly among themselves and sharing adventures of how they almost didn’t survive. They’ve all forgotten how dried out and tired they were. Isolated and discouraged for so long, they are thrilled that Master Potter gathered them together for some great purpose.