“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.” II Corinthians 4:7 New Living Translation

Things are seldom as they appear.

It’s what’s going on inside that should be in the news … not what is being observed on the outside.

–       outwardly we’re being pressed on every side by troubles; inwardly we’re not being crushed.

–       outwardly we are perplexed and confused; inwardly there’s no despair.

–       outwardly we’re being hunted down; inwardly God is closer than our next breath.

–       outwardly we get knocked down; inwardly we get back up, having taken no real damage.

–       outwardly we suffer; inwardly it’s the privilege we feel of getting to share in the life of our Lord, both the good times and the tough.

The body you see may get old, slow down and sometimes hurt. But inside there is more life and vitality than this world can handle. The bottom line is this: we aren’t really made for this present environment … it’s not our native soil. We’re made for a better place. A place where we’ll not have to contend with time and its consequences over our lives.

This truth … this perspective … must become more and more the hope we foster. The Apostle Paul wasn’t confused about this. Although his outward persona told one story, it wasn’t the real script of his life. Listen to his conclusion:

“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” II Corinthians 4:16-18 The Message

For the believer, things on the outside are never the real story about what is going on in the inside. These ‘fragile clay pots’ aren’t going to be able to keep the inside in for much longer!

May there be joy and anticipation on your journey!