An Old Clay Pot

"We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us" (2Corinthians 4:7). 

Over the years I've acquired a number of old clay pots. The one pictured above was excavated from a site dated at Abraham's time (circa 15^th century B.C.)—at least one item in our home that is older than I

It's not much to look at: stained, cracked, chipped and in need of a good scrubbing. It's very fragile. If I dropped it, it would shatter into useless shards. 

I keep it on my desk to remind me that I'm an old clay pot, a man made out of mud, of little value apart from the transcendent treasure that the pot contains. "We have this treasure (Jesus) in earthen vessels."

Paul continues: “(As earthen vessels), we are pressured from every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…” (4:8,9).

"Pressured." “Perplexed,” “Persecuted." "Struck down." These  are the pressures the pot must bear.

"Not crushed." “Not in despair.” “Not forsaken.” “Not destroyed." These are the effects of the counteracting strength of our indwelling Lord.

"...always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus." (4:10a). This is the attitude that characterized Jesus who died to himself every day. And this is the attitude that must characterize us—a willingness to die to self–effort, trusting solely in the sufficiency of the one who indwells us. "Not I, but Christ."

“... that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body“ (4:10b).   This is the outcome: the beauty of Jesus made visible in an old clay pot. 

Pressed out of measure and pressed to all length.

Pressed so intensely it seems beyond strength;

Pressed in the body and pressed in the soul,

Pressed in the mind till the dark surges roll;

Pressed by foes, and pressured by friends;

Pressure on pressure, till life nearly ends;

Pressed into loving the staff and the rod,

Pressed into knowing no helper but God.

—Annie Johnson Flint

David Roper