“But we have this treasure in jars of clay
to show that this all-surpassing power
is from God and not from us.”
(2 Corinthians 4:7)
Treasure in a Fragile Clay Jar
“I am not impressive.
I have nothing much to boast about.
I am lacking and weak.
Like a clay jar that shakes at the smallest impact,
that could shatter with a single blow of a hammer.
To someone like me,
to a person like that,
God has planted the gospel.
He has given me His love,
Jesus Christ.”
Not long ago, while I was walking my dog,
these words came to mind,
and this confession rose up inside me—
a confession I could not help but make.
How great is the grace of God
who planted the gospel in me.
I am overwhelmed
by the fact that I have received this grace.
Sometimes all I can do
is let my tears fall.
I am someone who is easily shaken
by the slightest impact.
Careless words from others
can crack my heart.
I am truly as weak
as a jar of clay.
When the Enemy Throws Stones at Our Hearts
There are times when the arrows of the enemy
feel like they will completely break me.
“You are not enough.”
“You are too weak.”
“You can’t do it.
You will fail again.
They will laugh at you again.
You are nothing.”
When these stones are thrown at my heart,
it feels as if I might just fall apart.
And yet there is something I am deeply thankful for.
Truly, deeply thankful.
It is this:
that I do not completely shatter.
Cracks may form,
but I do not explode into pieces.
I may fall,
but I can rise again.
Why is that?
Because Christ Jesus lives in me.
Even if I wanted to be utterly ruined,
I cannot be.
I have become someone
who cannot be destroyed.
Held Together by the One Who Lives in Us
What a joyful truth this is.
The One who began a good work in me
will carry it on to completion—
this is what I believe.
My heart
may be chipped and bruised
by the stones that fly toward me,
but still, I will keep walking.
Step by step,
tired feet on the ground,
but never alone—
walking with Christ Jesus
who lives in me.