Jars of Clay
by
We all have a story of how we have come to faith.
How does a person come to faith? We could all share something of our own experience in this regard. But it always starts with God. It is a miracle of God that we have come to faith. It starts with God, who said, “Let there be light.”
We can feel like a fragile earthen vessel. If it falls, it breaks or chips, or it may get a hole in it. That vessel contains treasure. The treasure is that we have come to know Jesus. He lives in us. The pot is dirty on the inside, but does that mean the treasure is dirty too? No, we are cleansed by that treasure, little by little. The amazing thing is, the more damaged the vessel is, the more the treasure can be seen.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
It is remarkable that, on the one hand, we are outwardly wasting away, but at the same time, within us, something new is being born. A new person is growing within us, as God intended.
It is true that our outer man is breaking down. We notice that as we get older and can no longer physically do everything we once could.
But inwardly, there are things that must be broken. The inner old man with our sins, our own will, our pride, and everything else that can stand in the way, must be broken. It is a painful process, but there is a purpose in it. The treasure within becomes more, and more, visible.
Will we allow God to continue His work in our lives? We are being prepared to bear fruit, for now and for the future, perhaps even for eternity.
“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies” ... (John 12:24). Are we ready for that?
What about the clay in the potter's hand? (see Jeremiah 18:1-6). Are we willing to surrender ourselves to those hands?
We have the promise that God works all things together for good for those who love Him.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:).28
Will we trust Him and give Him free rein in our lives?
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