Riches In A Clay Pot

“FOR GOD, WHO SAID, ‘LIGHT SHALL SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS,’ IS THE ONE WHO HAS SHONE IN OUR HEARTS TO GIVE THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF CHRIST. 7 BUT WE HAVE THIS TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS, THAT THE SURPASSING GREATNESS OF THE POWER MAY BE OF GOD AND NOT FROM OURSELVES; 8 WE ARE AFFLICTED IN EVERY WAY, BUT NOT CRUSHED; PERPLEXED, BUT NOT DESPAIRING: 9 PERSECUTED, BUT NOT FORSAKEN; STRUCK DOWN, BUT NOT DESTROYED; 10 ALWAYS CARRYING ABOUT IN THE BODY THE DYING OF JESUS, THAT THE LIFE OF JESUS ALSO MAY BE MANIFESTED IN OUR BODY.”

Riches in a clay pot.

That’s what we have. That’s what we are.

Paul says here in II Corinthians 4, that the same One who at the beginning said, “Let there be light”, and there was light, has now shed His own divine light into our hearts to enlighten us to a knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

In other words, if you know Christ as Savior, you will know the glory of God.

It is verse 7 that I want to focus on.

We have this treasure... what treasure? “...the knowledge of the glory of God”! That is richer than all the earthly treasure a man could possess. What if you owned the entire physical universe? When you die, you would lose it and die a pauper; because it’s true, you can’t take it with you. But to have the knowledge of the glory of God; that is eternal riches.

And where is this treasure stored? In us. Clay vessels. We’re just plain, aging, imperfect, earthbound creatures; but to us He has entrusted the greatest riches of all.

Why? Because that is how His power is displayed. We go about being afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, struck down.

But these trials give Him an opportunity to display His power in us. He keeps us from being crushed. He encourages us so we do not despair. He witnesses to our spirits by His own Holy Spirit that we are not forsaken. And since we are His, we will never be destroyed.

If we are faithful witnesses; if we submit our will to His will and let Him use us, then others see these things and marvel that we continue on, full of joy, full of God’s love, full of hope; and willing to consider ourselves dead to the world because we contain within ourselves the life of Christ.

The One who said “Let there be light”, is manifested in our mortal body by His indwelling Spirit. If the One who spoke creation into existence lives in us, then who or what could possibly come against us?

Get it? Riches in a clay pot.

(Read Romans 8)