Text: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18
We are jars of clay.
I have to admit, I always got Paul’s metaphor wrong. I, as I tend to do, made it all about me. I pictured myself as a crystal clear glass jar with a lump of grey sculpting clay inside. My jar was no fragile vessel. This was thick, sturdy, sparkling glass, able to withstand high temperatures or clumsy hands. And that lump of clay was my life, ready and waiting for God to sculpt me, or more likely, ready and waiting for me to sculpt me into what I thought my life should look like.
As it would be, I’m not made of sturdy, sparkling glass. My vessel is frail. Under the pressure of this world, I crack. And that sculpting I thought I could do with my own life? It broke me. Completely. Exactly how He planned it.
The jar, it turns out, isn’t what we should be occupied with. Benjamin Jowett writes, “There is something wrong when the vessel robs the treasure of its glory…when the picture takes second place to the frame.”
What God places inside our vessel isn’t a shapeless, colorless lump of clay. It’s treasure. The spectacular, brilliant, blinding treasure of the gospel. And He’s entrusted it to our weak, broken jars. Because it’s through our cracks and holes that the Light shines through.
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body (v.10).
We aren’t beautiful, unbreakable jars holding clay; we are frail, weak jars made of clay. And yet we’re holding God’s richest and most glorious treasure.
Sisters in Christ, let’s thank Him.
Let’s thank Him for our cracks.
Let’s thank Him that outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day (v.16).
Let’s thank Him for the light and momentary troubles that are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (v.17).
Let’s thank Him for our fresh start.
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I was traveling on this day, and have backtracked, as I didn't want to miss any of this. I was so encouraged by this passage that I read it in three translation to make sure that I was really grasping how wonderful these 12 verses really are. There is so much hope in theses verses, and good reasons not to rush through our afflictions–God uses them for His kingdom purposes. Thank you Lord that we can shine for You during any circumstance in our lives.
It has never dawned on me to thank God for my cracks, my failures, my disobedience. Until now. I realize that as much as I keep praying to our Father, praising Him in all His merciful glory, at the end of the day I still see Him through my earthly eyes and assuming He looks on my cracks as my earthly father does. I've never thought to thank God for my mistakes and failures — especially the ones I repeat over and over. This day's devotion has shown me that perhaps this is exactly what God wants from me; to thank Him for creating me to be so flawed, so that I will seek Him each time I see my deep, wide open cracks. This is where His light shines the brightest in me! Thank you God for seeing me as your masterpiece, regardless of how I see myself, regardless of how many cracks I have. Thank you for teaching me over and over to dare to believe that what you say about me is true.
“He’s entrusted it to our weak, broken jars”.
Entrusted…that’s a heavy thing, that’s a weighty thing, that’s an awesome thing…he trusts me…this sinner is not worthy. And yet, his redemption of me makes it so.
Thank you…working through redemption and entrusted-ness in my soul lately and this hit home in a very sweet way.
"The spectacular, brilliant, blinding treasure of the gospel. And He’s entrusted it to our weak, broken jars. Because it’s through our cracks and holes that the Light shines through."
I love this quote. It reminds me that even though we are broken and unworthy, God loves us enough to send his Son to be the Savior of our lives. In doing so, we become a vessel to share God's love with others. I believe that being genuine, authentic and vulnerable allows others to see who we truly are and the Light we have because of Jesus.