In my previous article, “As Clay in God’s Hands”, I ended with the question,

“What makes clay soft?”

The answer is simple,

Water, of course!

As long as clay contains water, it will remain soft; the amount of water determining the consistency of the clay.

The amount of water is important, because a potter needs the clay with a consistency suitable for the vessel they want to make.

So too with God and His clay, His people.

Spirit and water.

As we saw in the previous blog, God breathed “the breath of life” into the man’s nostrils “and the man became a living being”; the breath of God, the Spirit, being to human beings what water is to clay.

God pours out His Spirit, as one pours out water.

Proverbs.

How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.
(Proverbs 1:22–23)

Isaiah.

I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams.
(Isaiah 44:3–4)

Ezekiel.

I will not hide my face from them when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”
(Ezekiel 39:29)

Joel.

I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions.
(Joel 2:28)

Zechariah.

I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication: they will look upon me whom they have pierced, and they will mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son.
(Zechariah 12:10)

Holy Spirit as living water.

When talking to a Samaritan women at the well of Sychar, the Lord Jesus Christ compared the water from the well to the Holy Spirit, who would come after His ascension into heaven.

If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks, “Give me some water”, you would have asked of him and he would have given you living water.
(John 4:10)

The Lord Jesus explained,

“Whoever drinks this water will thirst again but whoever drinks the water that I will give, will never thirst. The water that I will give, will be a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
(John 4:13–14)

Born of water and Spirit.

And again, in His encounter with Nicodemus, the Lord Jesus said;

Unless a person is born of water and of the Spirit, they cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

What is born of flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Don’t be astonished that I said, “You must be born again.”
(John 3:5–7)

The promised Holy Spirit.

In his final instruction to His disciples, the Lord Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until they had been baptised with the Holy Spirit.

John baptised with water but, in a few days from now, you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.”
(Acts 1:5)

Holy Spirit is the Custodian of the New Covenant; He writes His law on our hearts and He guides His disciples into all truth and reminds us of all that the Lord Jesus Christ has said.

The new covenant promise.

I will put my law within them and will write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people.
(Jeremiah 31:33)

The fulfilment of the promise.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.
(John 16:13)

And again,

The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything that I have said to you.
(John 14:26)

There has never been a better time to be a disciple of Jesus Christ!

Next question, How does clay become fragile?