Jars of Life

Paul takes the next few chapters to encourage his readers. I myself have been going through a bit of a rough spot the past few days with the overwhelming flood of work and the never ending errands to take of. It's just been a lot and I really need some time off and away from all this. God speaks at the perfect time, and 2 Corinthians 4 was highly encouraging. I hope it does you some good too if you're in a rough spot or have a friend who needs a pick-me-up.

Although many many times we feel beat down and crushed we have to realize that it is God who supplies us with power to carry on. Life has its tornados, its harsh winds, its frosty blizzards, and the occasional volcanic eruptions, but God really does carry us through it all if we rely and look towards him. We have nothing, no power, no hope, but with God in our hearts and in our lives, we have the strength to push through the disasters and storms of life.

Just as Paul puts it, we are simply little fragile jars of clay, easily shattered and fairly unstable sometimes, but of all the jars in the world, we, the followers of Christ are different from the others because we hold treasure inside of us. And that treasure of course is the living God and the living Spirit who breathes life into us while death tries to break us down (v.12).

 ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

No matter how beaten we are by life, no matter how tough it may get, no matter how heavy the weight of worldly pressures may be, we are sustained by the living God who sustains all. He is the reason we live, and He is the reason we dont give up. Paul wraps up the chapter beautifully and powerfully saying,

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Let us not lose heart when life gets tough, and to focus on what sustains eternally rather than what will erode away.

verse of the day: 1 Chronicles 16:11

¹⁶ Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.