I found this short little video on YouTube. It really spoke to my heart. Many of us were broken just like that clay jar, and we felt beyond repair, good for nothing. But our brokeness opened our eyes to how much we need our Savior.
That's what I want to be. An empty vessel for
Christ to fill with His light.
from youtube:
Uploaded by communityin1 on Feb 27, 2009
What if God shone most brightly through our broken places - our sins and our wounds? What if we let him pour his grace into us, and out into those around us? What if we were beautifully consumed by Him and transformed into His likeness?
Lyrics "Inside Out" by Hillsong United
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
My heart, my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out
2 Corinthians 4 NLT
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Paul suffered through so many trials and persecutions. Through it all he trusted Jesus to get him through those times. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Paul continues in 2 Corinthians 12:10 - "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong."
We are nothing more than jars of clay - empty vessels with nothing to offer - until He fills us up with His light. When we come to that place where we know how much we need Jesus, how much we depend on Him for everything, that's when we stop trying to do things on our own. We get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit take control. Then His light can shine.
I am a jar of clay and I need my Savior.
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from Power Prayers to Start Your Day - Donna K Maltese
LORD, when I hear what other people say You have done in their lives, their testimonies buoy my own faith. It give me chills when I hear of the wonders of Your deeds. Give me the courage to share my testimony with others, knowing this will draw unbelievers to You and strengthen the hearts of those who already know You. Thank You, LORD, for hearing my prayer.
http://youtu.be/wrRd-NZjdcg - Dependence - Jamie Slocum
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