Intentional 21 Devotional: Day 11 - Adam Permetti

Going through the fire

When a potter is forming a new clay vase, he meticulously shapes it. He begins with his hands, gently molding a lump of clay into an elegant vessel. He knows every detail of it—from the way it swells outward and tapers at the top to the intricate etchings laced throughout its surface. After the vase has been shaped, the potter places it into an oven, where the heat solidifies and hardens the clay. At this point, the clay is no longer malleable; it is hardened and ready to be used.

In several parts of the Bible, the Lord is referred to as a potter, and we are referred to as His clay. One example is Isaiah 64:8:

“But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

Just as a potter forms a vase, the Lord is working within each of us—molding, shaping, and changing us into new creations. As we go through this process, the Lord gives us new revelations, changes our desires. motivations, and transforms the way we live our lives. He is molding us into something new. Yet even after being shaped into a beautiful vessel, we are still like wet clay. We are not yet ready to be used. Worse still, because we are still soft, someone—or something—could reshape or manipulate us into something the potter never intended. This is why the potter must place the clay into the fire. The heat solidifies and hardens the vessel so that it can no longer be altered.

Throughout our walk with the Lord, there will be times when it feels like we are walking through the fire—closed in on all sides, with no way of escape. You might feel fear or anxiety because you don’t have enough money to pay the bills. You might be told that you are going blind in one eye. You may feel shame over something from your past, or anger because the Lord did not heal a loved one who was dying. All of these situations can cause us to fall to the ground in agony because we see no exit. We feel the heat rising around us, yet there seems to be no way out. In moments like these, we often cry out to the Lord, asking, “Why? Why are you allowing this to happen to me?”

In times like this, I remind myself of James 1:2–4:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” 

All of the trials we go through—the pain, the suffering, and the moments of deep agony—are not without purpose. The Lord allows us to walk through these seasons so that the things He has poured into our lives—the revelations, the knowledge, and the teachings—may become solidified within us. Through the fire, these truths are hardened so that what the Lord has created in us cannot be altered. You will no longer be swayed left or right like a tree in the wind. You will stand firm, because through the fire of tribulation, these truths have been etched into your heart. What was once soft and vulnerable has now been strengthened, made steadfast, and prepared for use. 

As we begin this new year and step into a new season of our lives, let us not walk in fear of what is to come. Instead, let us walk in confidence, knowing that the Lord is with us, guiding us, sustaining us, and standing beside us through every trial.

Engagement:

As you go throughout the rest of your day, take time to meditate on the things the Lord has already brought you through and the lessons you have learned along the way. Begin to praise the Lord, thanking Him for all that He has delivered you from. Know that through the fires of tribulation, these lessons have been etched into your heart, and the Lord will use them to bless and help others. As we continue to walk through 2026, remember this: a vase is only completed after it has passed through the fire.