Treasure in Jars of Clay

The night before I wrote this blog, my sleep evaded me. I was annoyed by the sound of the voice on my sleep meditation app. As my husband lay in blissful sleep, I patiently waited for the meditation to end, along with its sounds of ocean waves rolling in, one after the other. This night, that sound was anything but comforting to me. I couldn’t wait to turn it off, but the iPad was on his side of the bed. So, as soon as the voice stopped, I quickly woke him up to turn off the app, so I might sleep. (I know what you’re thinking: What a brat! Yes, it seems I have some repenting to do.)

Anyway, I was still wide awake wondering why I had to wait so long for certain prayers to be answered. Clearly, there was more here than just my impatience. I remembered the peace and joy I had experienced just a few days earlier, when thinking about how far my loved one had come, since I began praying for this problem. I had been filled with hope! But, as the same struggles continued to surface, that hope began to fade, and I found myself longing to know what was taking so long for the problem to get better. Although things weren’t as bad as they once were, I wanted more. I told myself, I know God has got this, so why does this feeling of disappointment keep coming back? Then, this scripture came to mind.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 ESV

This unfolded in my mind: We are all mere vessels formed by the master potter as a jar of clay, an empty vessel with a longing for eternity set into our DNA. Yet, like an empty clay jar, we are fragile and easily cracked or broken. When we fill our thirsty hearts and souls with worldly longings and desires, the more we have the more we want. Our jars never get full.

But, there is one who can provide living water, so that we may never thirst again. The Holy Spirit, the helper, the one Jesus promised to send when he went away for a while, is the living water that never ceases to fill us. Worldly desires never satisfy, but through faith in Jesus, we can be satisfied. Even though we are like a cracked clay jar that leaks, we will never run dry. This is a great treasure!

As a Christ follower, we are to live a life dependent on Jesus to satisfy our deepest desires. When we stop striving in our own power and let go and let God, he is faithful to fill us with his living water. We get glimmers of hope that bring peace and joy, and help us live and love better. This is the surpassing or incomparable power of God. We can’t achieve this in our own strength.

As our struggles strengthen our inner being and build our character, we are being transformed moment by moment, day by day. But when we take our eyes off of Jesus and focus on our problems, we begin to feel empty and hope starts to fade.

You may worry about a loved one or even yourself who is afflicted by a sickness or an addiction or a mental illness. And when you rely on your own ability to desperately try to figure out your next right step, sometimes it helps, until it doesn’t. Then it seems that it was all in vain, like a “chasing after the wind”. (Ecclesiastes)

So, remember to whom you belong, and take your sight off the natural and look to the supernatural. When you set your sight on God’s supernatural ability, “His surpassing power” to transform anything, then everything good is restored and anything not of God flees from your sight. That does not mean the problems no longer exist; it means you have Godly power to overcome them. For, you are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus and the devil can’t have any power or victory over you. (Ephesians 2:6)

If you want this treasure in jars of clay, this surpassing power of God, just come to Jesus and be filled with the living water of His Holy Spirit and be satisfied. It will not change the fact that here in the land of the living, we still remain human and fragile like jars of clay. But, living water will overflow from within us and dilute the pain, the hurts, and the unsatisfied longings. What a treasure to behold! It’s yours and it’s free for the taking.

You just simply believe what Jesus has done, that his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead was for your benefit, to forgive all of your sin. Then, thank Him for his gift of the Holy Spirit, who comes in to dwell in your heart and help you repent.

Remember repentance is necessary because we all have sinned and have fallen short of being able to please Father God on our own. (Romans 3:23) We all need a savior! And simply put, it is the Holy Spirit who helps you turn away from missing the mark of Gods perfection. You will not be “magically made perfect”, but in God’s eyes you will be covered by the shed blood of Jesus. Your debt is covered, paid in full, and in turn allows you to have an intimate relationship with the Father. For it will be the righteousness of the Son that the Father will see when he looks upon you, and fills you with His Holy Spirit to help you in all your ways. This is the Trinity, the three in One Godhead.

Ecclesiastes says a chord of three strands is not easily broken. Well, if you tie yourself to this scarlet cord, drenched in the blood of Jesus, your thirsty heart and soul inside your fragile, jar of clay body will not be easily broken. He who is in you is greater than he, (the enemy of God), who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) You will not only overcome your trials, but you will be satisfied like never before. Jesus is enough!

Shortly after writing this, a new trial emerged. I would love to say that having been freshly filled with the Holy Spirit, I handled the situation with grace and dignity. But if I’m nothing else, I am honest, for I am a work in progress. My first attempt to solve the problem was in my own strength. But realizing I may have only made matters worse, I set my sight on Jesus again, and low and behold, hope came flooding back.

Now a person who sees their clay jar half empty would probably say the problem was resolved because “the wheel that squeaks the loudest gets the grease”, (if you catch my drift). But, since I see my clay jar overflowing, (in spite of my transgressions), I recognize God’s faithfulness, for his new mercies each morning. No sin of mine can get in the way when I turn my heart and mind to Jesus. I was given a gift, and and once again filled with hope and thankfulness.

You are invited to participate in THE RETURN, a national day of prayer and repentance for the sake of our great nation this Saturday, September 26th. Please watch the video at the end of this post for more information.

Beauty and health benefits of clay

I don’t think there was any coincidence in the analogy of our bodies being like jars of clay. After all, the Lord created us from the earth. In the Bible, Job remembers that God made him from clay, and he will be turned into dust again when his life is over. God created the earth and said it was good. Therefore, there are good benefits available to us from earthen properties, namely clay.

There is a type of clay that comes from volcanic ash called Bentonite clay. It was named after Fort Benton in Wyoming where the Yellowstone volcano is located. There have been many studies done with this clay, showing the health and beauty benefits of it. The following information was derived from an article in Medical News today.

Because of Bentonite’s soft fine texture, it mixes well with water and forms a paste that can be used in beautifying masks for skin and hair. It is also believed to have health benefits to remove toxins from the body and help with rashes.

Scientists have done several animal studies with Bentonite and Montmorillonite clay, (named after Montromillon, France), showing its ability to remove certain toxins. The properties of these two clays are similar. There was one study done on children in Ghana where Montmorillonite clay had reduced the presence of aflatoxins that were related to poor growth and health.

Certain edible clays are available on the market that aid in reducing toxins in the body. You can find them in drugstores or online. One teaspoon of clay is to be mixed with 6-8 ounces of purified water and drank once a day.

Some people use Bentonite clay masks to detoxify armpits and feet. This clay is also used for treating oily skin and acne by removing sebum and oil, helping to avoid breakouts. It has been used for decades to treat poison ivy, by treating the rash and speeding up the healing after an allergic reaction.

Bentonite clay is also available in supplement form, and scientific studies suggest these can aid in reducing weight gain. Other studies propose that the supplements help the digestive track, aiding in constipation because the clay sticks to toxins. There is also research that indicates absorbent clays like Bentonite may help virus-related digestive issues like diarrhea. And finally, Bentonite clay was proven to be successful in treating diaper rash. You can read the full article here.

The bottom line is that the natural detoxifying qualities of clay can purify, heal and beautify. There are no coincidences with God, right down to the Biblical reference of our treasure in jars of clay. In most instances referenced from the article, the clay was mixed with water to achieve its benefits. And it is the living water from Jesus that purifies, heals and beautifies our jars of clay-like bodies from the inside out. Now, for beauty from the outside in: don’t forget to smile in spite of all your problems. This relates back to my very first blog post: “My Mother’s Most Important Beauty Advice”. Love you all… until next time. Maybe I’ll talk about how the problem is part of the plan.