APRIL 2024.
JARS OF CLAY.
One of the Biblical analogies that God uses to describe His people, is that of clay. He is the potter and we are the work of His hand (Isaiah 64:8). In one sense, this speaks of our origin. The Lord formed us from the dust of the ground and gave us the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). In another sense, this speaks of the ongoing work that God does in our lives. Isaiah, Jeremiah and Paul all remind their readers that as the clay, we do well to humbly embrace the work of the potter (Isaiah 45:9, Jeremiah 18:1-6, Romans 9:20-21).
Working with clay is a meticulous process. Before the shaping even begins, the potter needs to carefully work through the raw clay to remove any impurities. Thankfully, all that Christ has already accomplished on the cross means that our hearts can be made pure by Him, and that we can then be used by Him. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” But can we really be used for good works? Clay is relatively fragile and the truth is that we humans are fragile too. Nonetheless, even as jars of clay, if Christ is in us then we hold the greatest treasure of all within us. In His strength, and not our own, we are called to share this treasure of greatest worth with all the world. What a privilege! 2 Corinthians 4:7 puts it like this: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” Let’s be open to the work of the potter in our lives, and let’s eagerly look for opportunities to serve Him as jars of clay.
One in Christ
Pastor Simon
