Jars of Clay

This was written for my Church's Newsletter, but i thought it would be good to post on here as well.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

One truth God has been teaching me for a while is that he delights in weakness. God loves to take the times we are weak and use them for his glory. He hungers to take our weak moments and show us that he is near. In the text above, Paul is saying that the treasure, which is the gospel, housed in jars of clay, which is us. Jars of clay were simply what they sound like pots made of clay. They were not perfect. They were not the strongest. They were breakable. But, God put his treasure in these breakable jars so that his glory would be seen. In their breakability and weakness, he would be their strength. In the last year our congregation as a whole and as its individual parts has been pushed to the breaking point. We have been hard pressed on every side. We have been perplexed. We have been persecuted. We have been struck down. However, we have NOT been crushed. We have NOT been despaired. We have NOT been abandoned. We have NOT been destroyed. None of this has been by our own power or strength, but by the Power and Strength of the Lord. “My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness.” We have been weak and near breaking, but Christ’s power is made perfect in our weakness. IF we can rest in his power and his strength, then he will continue to bind us together and heal us.