Why would God cut us off from His presence? As we read through the Old Testament, we watch God teach us something essential about His presence. It all rests on the foundation of who He is and who we are. He is God, the Creator, and that alone means He has certain rights while we, as His handiwork, carry certain responsibilities.
Paul captures this with the image of the potter and the clay, a picture that stops us mid-stride.
“But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’” (Romans 9:20 ESV).
Yet that is exactly what we earthen vessels do. We cast blame toward God. We demand answers for His actions or His silence. We feel entitled to pronounce judgment over Him and then expect Him to comply.
But reality refuses to bow to us. If God exists, and He does, two truths stand firm. First, His words carry power and binding force, not ours. Second, His words do not change based on our acceptance, discomfort, or approval. And this is where things become unsettling. What do we do when we do not want to kneel in God’s presence?
Often, we cut ourselves off from Him, and we do it in different ways.
We can become outright atheists, denying His existence so that we do not have to submit to His word. But covering our eyes and declaring that God does not exist does nothing to alter reality. If God exists, He remains present whether or not we choose to look at Him. And if He remains, then His words remain binding upon us as our Creator.
Or we reshape God in our own image. Maybe we are not ready to deny Him entirely. Deep down, we know He exists, and we know we are His creation. But when we do not want His word, we adjust who we believe He is. We fashion a god who approves of everything we desire, a god who never calls for repentance. But changing our concept of God does nothing to change the reality of who He is.
As clay, we do not get to deny the Potter or redefine Him. This is the heart of Paul’s message in Romans. Becoming an atheist or worshiping a god of our own making, even privately within our own heart, in no way alters truth. A day is coming when every person will stand before the true and living God. The atheist will believe that day. The idol-maker will see Christ in His glory. The clay will face the Potter as He is, and none of our denials or distortions will remain.
Humanity has been resisting Him this way from the beginning. So we must ask: What is our disposition toward God today? Do we deny Him? Do we refuse to see Him as He is and instead worship an idol shaped by our desires? Both paths are rebellion, and neither one changes reality. God still exists even if we close our eyes. He still rules with rightful authority even if we recast Him as permissive and unholy.
But here is the astonishing reality of God. He is our Creator, and He made us in His image to dwell with Him forever and rule with Him. Paul even reminds the Corinthians that we are destined to judge angels. Jesus tells us in Revelation that He will seat us with Him on His throne, just as He sits with the Father.
Yet only God paves the way for this future. Only He shows us how to claim this birthright. We can despise it and deny God altogether. We can refuse to hear Jesus and build idols in our hearts. Or we can be the clay and let the Potter shape us into what we were created to be.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6 ESV).
I am, meaning He exists.
The way, meaning His words lead to life.
No one comes to the Father except through me, meaning He alone opens the path.
These are the words of our Potter. How are they speaking to your heart today? What truth is God pressing on you as you consider the Potter and the clay? If you feel led, share your thoughts in the comments. Your reflection may be exactly what someone else needs to hear this week.