I read a funny story the other day…a youngster was watching his grandmother put on her make up, “what are you doing?” he asked. “Well, you see when ladies get older they put on make up to cover their wrinkles” she said. He studied her face intently; “It doesn’t seem to be working” came his innocent reply. Sigh, sometimes it does feel as if this flesh of ours is in constant disrepair. Thinning hair, wrinkles, aching bones, sore muscles, and fatigue are no stranger to us as we journey further in life.
Then there are those moments when we are awe struck by the fragility of life. A tiny hand grasping a parent’s finger for the first time, the cautious shuffle of an elderly gentleman escorting his wife down the church hall, an unexpected illness that changes lives or the loss of a life are all reminders of our temporary earthen vessels.
At first these thoughts seemed depressing, but then I considered my God. I know Him to be a God of purpose and plans. Of COURSE He would not form us from insufficient substance without reason.
2 Corinthians 4:6&7, 16-18 For God, who said, “let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us……Therefore do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed each day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far out-weighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
My “jar of clay” may be a bit cracked and showing signs of wear, but it is a constant reminder that All I have, All I am and ALL I do is because of God. He has given us the knowledge of His glory through His son Jesus Christ and He alone has made allthings possible.
Tuesday With Teri 