Savoring the Scripture

Jars of Clay: Fragile and Useful His power finds its full scope in human weakness. Verbrugge&Harris  Jars of clay. Many people enjoy using clay pots to cook in as they claim the pots keep food more tender, flavorful, and moist. Others love them for gardening because of their versatility and the way they provide an aerated environment for plants. One of the biggest disadvantages to using clay jars however, is their fragility. Too quick a change in temperature or not handling carefully enough and the jar breaks or cracks. Paul uses this imagery when describing us. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Paul uses jars of clay to convey our human frailty, to communicate our feebleness. Paul says this in a context of explaining why he never loses heart in his ministry. One of the reasons Paul can continue on faithfully in ministry is because in his frailty and in his weakness, God proves Him...

  Don’t Give Up: when mothering makes you weary Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we never give up… 2 Corinthians 4:1 ESV, NLT Mothering can have seasons where weariness and discouragement lie right at the surface. Perhaps it’s a physically exhausting time, maybe spiritually you’re struggling or a child is, maybe it’s just busier than normal and it’s hard to juggle everything without feeling stressed out, or maybe it’s hard to even find a reason why you’re struggling. It can be so many little things, or big things and little things, and you just want to give up, even if only for a little while. You wish you could run away and rest, clear your mind and breathe. How can we faithfully persevere through motherhood, each of its season, and each season’s hardships?  As I studied 2 Corinthians 4:1-6, I wanted to see how Paul could say, “we never give up.” Studying this book, I have come to appreciate the tenacity of Paul and his steadfastness through so many diffic...