Earthen Vessels

August 14

Job 6-7

Psalm 91:1-8

Proverbs 20:14-15

2 Corinthians 4

Earthen Vessels

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; in every way afflicted, but not crushed, perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body…Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.  For our momentary, light affliction is working out for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 

2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 16-18 LSB

Our New Testament passage in 2 Corinthians today goes along perfectly with the passage in Job yesterday.  In the face of incredible pain and suffering Job experienced despair.  He didn’t understand what was happening to him and he cried out to God for answers.  God met him where he was and brought him to greater faith and understanding.  Job did not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit indwelling him that believers today have.  Job had an intimate walk with the Lord,  talked personally with Him, and God responded to him, but that did not give him supernatural ability to face tremendous difficulty and loss and not respond with sorrow and confusion.  The words of Paul to the Corinthians, likewise, do not mean that believers can’t or shouldn’t express pain and grief.  He is not suggesting that we should just grin and bear it because we know that the pain we experience in this life isn’t that bad because of the glory that awaits us in heaven.  That is an unrealistic and insensitive view of the reality of human existence.  Being a Christian does not free us from the realities of life in a fallen world and it does not free us from experiencing the inevitable emotions that come along with it.  There is no shame in acknowledging and feeling the depths of heartache.  God does not want us to put on a happy face and act like we are fine when we aren’t. 

The fact that we have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us does make a difference in how we respond to pain. While His presence does not take it away, it provides us with the comfort and strength we need to persevere and keep going forward.  We are able to be afflicted, crushed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down and not give up.  No matter what we face, we know that we are not forsaken, He is with us and He will carry us through the difficulty to the other side.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed each day by His presence and His work in our lives.  Paul is not minimizing our pain when he says that it is momentary and light.  Paul understood pain well.  He experienced extreme persecution almost to the point of death on numerous occasions. His words are a reminder to himself and us that God sees our pain and He understands.  God can use anything we experience here on earth to increase our faith and refine us. When I feel like there is purpose to my pain, it is easier to endure than if it is just random.  Knowing that God is at work in my life and He will bring good out of everything I have to go through, helps me keep going when things are unbearable.  Keeping my eyes focused on Jesus and on His promises of His presence with me gives me hope and confidence.  When faced with unimaginable pain, grief and loss, the best thing we can do is to turn to God in humility and transparency acknowledging our questions and seeking to understand Him and His ways better.  Recognizing that we are weak and frail puts us in a position to give all the credit to him and not seek the glory for ourselves.  Hiding our pain and acting like we are fine even when we are not can be a source of pride.  God values authenticity and honesty to Him and in our relationships with others. We have the treasure of the Holy Spirit dwelling in these earthen vessels as a reminder that we do not have our glorified bodies yet and until we do, we are totally dependent on Him.