The cares of life have helped me understand that there is no such thing as happenstance. Nothing in life just happens from nowhere. There is a force that orchestrates it. May I hasten to say that it is God who designs individual people connected to Him for a specific purpose. Every person's destiny and deliverance is in the Hands of God -- the Potter. Our God has the sovereignty to do what He wants to do with humanity.

I hear clearly in my spirit the Lord saying to contemporary Christians: "I am sovereign. I do what I want to do with you and nothing can stop me because I am the Potter; you are the clay. I mould you, shape you, break you, remake you -- whenever and however I reckon necessary."

Allow me to persuade the Body of Christ to grasp the fact that when one looks at a Potter, one must establish God's sovereignty. God has an absolute right to deal with us in any way He wishes. Just like the Potter deals with clay at his disposal. The periscope in Jeremiah 18:1-6 illustrates in a tangible form that God is the Potter and we His creation are the clay.

The Potter has the blue print, objective and design for humanity. For that reason the Potter can do whatever He wants to do with humanity His clay. His wish is His command to all the clay on this earth. Whatever He wants to do He can choose to do because He's the Overseer.

The Potter and Clay metaphor Prophet Jeremiah uses in this periscope under scrutiny is very powerful and effective for describing the issues of life that humanity goes through. The idea of God as the Potter, patiently and skillfully shaping the world and humanity to His specification undoubtedly takes me to the creation narrative in Genesis chapter one.When I look at the creation narrative in the Book of Genesis, I see God as the Potter and humanity as the clay. If one looks at Genesis 1:3, God says, 'Let there be light'. In verse 6 He says, "Let there be expansion."

In verse 14 He says, "Let there be light in the expansion." But in verse 26, the narrative shifts to a different gear and God goes from saying "Let there be" to "Let us make". When He gets to man, He doesn't say 'Let there be man'. He says "Let us make man . . ."

He spoke light; He spoke fish; He spoke the sun; He spoke the moon. But when it came to man, He just didn't speak He said, 'Let us make . . . Let us shape him into our image.' That's when the process began--God did not just speak you; God made you. God formed you from the dust of the earth, fashioned you and crafted you--then He stepped back and said "That is good". May I remind you it is sin that has distorted what God made perfect.

Jeremiah got a word from God and had a date with God at the Potters' house. If Jeremiah had stayed in his house and ignored God's word, he would have missed God's message and remained stagnant in life. God's messages are profitable to obedient listeners.

My life experiences have taught me that one cannot prosper in life battles if one does not migrate to receive God's revelation. No migration no revelation. I have noticed that some people have not changed the way they use to worship or live their lives. May I remind you that you cannot get future blessings into your present place. In this Jeremiah periscope God is saying clearly when you get up and go down -- that is when I will speak to you. At the Book Chirinth, God shaped Elijah for a showdown at Mt Carmel. God is not a radio that talks as long as it is switched on. God only talks to a listening ear.

In his message "The Potters' House," Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa painted a vivid picture of how the Potter remakes battered and hopeless lives into vessels of honor. What is interesting in this story is that God orders Jeremiah to leave his comfort zone to an unfamiliar place.

Have you not seen in life that there are some things that God speaks to you that you cannot get at your house or where you are?

The school of life afflictions has taught me that there are some things God cannot speak in your life until you let it go -- and if you won't let it go -- sometimes He'll snatch it away. At times a man or woman is desperate to be in a relationship/ to have a friend, to have creature comforts or remain in the state that they are in.

Remember it is the Potter's sovereignty to remove distractions. Christians have to learn to hear from God in this turbulent 21st century life.

Prophet Makandiwa brings home strong points when he recalls the rejections and insults he received from people during his formative years of ministry.

Humbly, the Man of God recalls being subjected to insults and be called this little boy by some mischievous lay members of his church. Prophet Makandiwa said if one wants to be as pure as gold, one has to pass through the fire in order for impurities to go. The problem is that many people do not want to pass through the fire.

Standing on Psalm 66: 12, Prophet Makandiwa made a poignant point when he said, "you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance."

I am speaking to somebody here who knows that it was not until God brought you up out of some things and then brought you down to a place where He could speak to you that you really learned how to hear from God? After the divorce, lost your job, sickness, mother or father died, child was killed, friends walked away . . . that is the time that God began to speak to you. Because it is when God brought you out -- you learned how to cry out to God, call on God, lay before God. And now you can testify that if it had not been for the Lord that was on my side . . . your Israel could have been troubled.

Prophet Makandiwa demonstrably drove a point home that just like Jeremiah who was set apart, you with all your challenges is set apart for a special assignment. The more challenges you have in life when you walk uprightly with God, the more glorious your destiny is.

The stronger your enemies, the more beautiful and loftier destiny you have. God took clay called Joseph and molded him into Egypt's Prime Minister during interesting times. In most cases, people do not realize that there is a relationship between clay, potter and fire. Unprocessed ordinary clay is worthy nothing in the potter's hands. Fire is the boarding pass to promotion and breaktrhroughs.

I am speaking to somebody discouraged and about to commit suicide. STOP! He is watching you and He knows what you are going through. You are being remade for the next level just be patient with God. Stay put and very soon you will be a vessel of honor. When you think the plate in you is destroyed but God has a pot in mind. You are destined for greatness. Your dreams can be contrary to what is happening in your life just like Joseph's dreams but wait, there are dreams that God will give Pharaoh for you to interpret and change your story.

The challenge in life is to differentiate between curses and God's tests to appreciate the gift of God. It is possible God has set you apart as Lazarus who will witness to many people after resurrection than before his death.