2 Corinthians 4:7
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
A phrase kept coming to my mind, “A wise woman builds,” a subject that I thought would be good for a series of devotions. A particular memory took me back to a time many years ago when I attended my very first Christian women’s retreat that was called, “A Wise Woman Builds.” I only remember little bits from the event but the experience had a profound impact on helping me catch a vision for women’s ministry, many years before God opened the doors to a leadership position. With that memory in mind, I just knew I had some material on that subject packed away somewhere and was determined to find it. In a guest room closet, I came upon a big box of files that hadn’t seen the light of day since we moved into our present home years before. Leafing through the stacks of folders, I realized I had hit pay dirt. The discovery yielded thirty-eight years of material: programs and notes from women’s ministry events, outlines from retreats and seminars I had organized and attended or for which I was the speaker, as well as notes from many of the Bible studies I had led. At that moment I thanked the Lord for reminding me of the phrase that sent me on the search. I also felt totally vindicated for being such a packrat! The discovery—a veritable treasure trove—will be providing ideas and inspiration for devotions for the foreseeable future.
In our passage today, Paul spoke of another treasure, one found in “jars of clay.” Jars of clay or earthen vessels could be purchased with one or two copper coins and served a practical purpose as receptacles for wick lamps. Paul used the example of these vessels as an image of ordinary people of faith like you and me being the receptacle of a treasure—God’s powerful, redemptive message— which is brought forth from the vessel. God could have chosen angels to spread His message but He chose humble, weak vessels like us! Inside our broken, fragile, ordinary jar of clay is a treasure, a priceless treasure of immeasurable worth, given to us so that we would be witnesses to the world of His power to the glory of the Father. Often we look at our clay pot as frail, cracked, damaged, dirty, or empty—not worthy of holding His treasure. We allow our outward appearance or feelings of insecurity have sway and so we keep the treasure hidden. In my closet lay hidden from view a treasure trove of truths from God’s Word that, now found, are ready to be shared. Jesus took upon Himself our sins on the cross, died and was resurrected to redeem a lost world and this treasured message of redemption, love, salvation and the promise of eternal life, is not meant to be hidden away in our jars of clay, dear readers. It is meant to be shared with a lost and hurting world!
Father in heaven, fragile and cracked as we are, You chose us to receive Your message, this treasure beyond compare, and to share it. Thank you for entrusting it to us. As we read in 1 Peter 3:15, “sanctify Christ in our hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks (us) to give an account for the hope that is in (us), yet with gentleness and reverence…” May we boldly proclaim this message from our cracked vessels. For Your sake, we pray, amen.
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~ painting by Corissa Nelson
