October 29 Click on verses for Full Scripture	previous - - - - - - - - - - next
Today's Pathway: II Corinthians 4:7-9 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Yesterday we saw that Paul was used by God to preach the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Today he opens by stating that even though the Gospel message is a "treasure", he was simply an "earthen vessel". An earthen vessel was a clay pot. It had little intrinsic worth, and was easily broken. Paul is teaching that it was the message that was valuable, not the messengers. Homer Kent wrote,

"Valuables were often stored in such jars. Paul wants to compare the Christian message with the minister. The human instrument is weak and expendable; the message is vital and of inestimable value. By utilizing frail human ministers, God demonstrates that the 'excellency of the power' that transforms men’s lives is from God and not from any preacher."

"Why should they not preach themselves? Because they were but earthen vessels, things of little or no worth or value. The ministers of the Gospel are weak and frail creatures, and subject to like passions and infirmities as other men; they are mortal, and soon broken in pieces. God has so ordered it that the weaker the vessels are the stronger His power may appear to be, that the treasure itself should be valued more. There is an excellency of power in the Gospel, to enlighten the mind, to convince the conscience, to convert the soul, and to rejoice the heart; but all this power is from God, Who is the Author, and not from men, who are but instruments, so that God in all things must be glorified."

In verses 8 and 9 Paul gives a series of contrasts. The verb tenses indicate that these were ongoing conditions in his life. He opens by stating that he was troubled, but not distressed. The word translated "troubled" means to be afflicted, but it also carries the idea of being in a narrow place. "Distressed" means to be completely hemmed in. So it could be put this way: Paul was constantly being squeezed from every side, but he was never crushed. He also was "perplexed, but not in despair". This is a play on words in Greek, and means that Paul was "at a loss", but never "lost out". He often did not know what would be a solution to his difficulties, and yet the Lord never allowed him to reach the place of despair. In verse 9 he was "persecuted, but not forsaken". He was chased down like a hunted animal, but God never abandoned him. He wrote in II Timothy 4:16-17,

"...All men forsook me...Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me."

In Judges 7:16-20 Gideon led three hundred men in battle against the Midianites. The weapons they carried were a trumpet, a pitcher, and a lamp. The lamp was placed in the pitcher, so its light was not seen. At Gideon's signal the trumpets were blown, the pitchers were broken, and the light on the inside became visible. A great victory was won that day, in part because the light shone through when the pitcher was broken. William MacDonald concludes,

"We may wonder why the Lord allowed Paul to go through such testings and trials. We would think that he could have served the Lord more efficiently if He had allowed his pathway to be free from troubles. But this Scripture teaches the very opposite. God, in His marvelous wisdom, sees fit to allow His servants to be touched by sickness, sorrow, affliction, persecution, difficulties, and distresses. All are designed to break the earthen pitchers so that the light of the gospel might shine out more clearly."

When suffering comes, don't give up. God is using those trials to allow His light to shine more brightly through you.