2 Corinthians 4 Devotional

Power Held in Fragile Hands

“Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.”2 Corinthians 4:7 (BSB)

Paul lists his troubles plainly: hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down (4:8-9). Yet each line turns on a but. He is not crushed, not in despair, not forsaken, not destroyed. The reason is not his own toughness. God, who first commanded light to shine out of darkness, has shone in human hearts to show his glory in the face of Jesus Christ (4:6), and that treasure is kept in clay jars so it is clear the power belongs to God (4:7).

Weakness, then, is not an embarrassment to the gospel. It is where the life of Jesus becomes visible (4:10-11). Paul keeps going because he knows the God who raised Jesus will raise his people too (4:14). The outer self is wearing out, but the inner self is renewed day after day, and present troubles are light and brief compared with the lasting glory they are producing (4:16-17). So the believer looks past what can be seen to what is unseen and eternal, and keeps going without losing heart.

To think about: What part of your life feels most like a cracked clay jar right now, and what would it mean to trust that the power is God's?