As a young teenager, I visited a place in Bahrain where clay pots were made. The image of rows and rows of brownish pots and other vessels is one which I remember very clearly! There was an area where all the smashed and broken pieces of pots were piled up too – a reminder of the fragility of the products.
This verse has been significant for me in the past few years as we’ve been on the journey towards cross cultural work overseas. I’ve so often felt inadequate for the task ahead, too weak to weather the struggles and challenges that will inevitably come, or unsure of how God could use me and my family in such a different place. Again and again I have felt God reminding me that the power is His, not mine. In my inadequacies, he is more than adequate. In my weakness, he displays his power, in my insecurity, he shows me the security that comes from belonging to him. I may be a clay pot, a bit cracked and wonky, but the treasure I hold is brilliant and worthy, because of the one who put it there. I can trust God to use this imperfect treasure carrier according to his perfect purpose, and that is so very freeing.
