Fragile, yet treasured

I live in a house that is solid. It makes me feel secure to close the door and turn the bolt lock when darkness falls. I have money in the bank, not a great deal, but enough that I don’t have to wonder about how I will feed myself tomorrow. There is a kind of security in that, too. I am physically strong and have no fear of falling down or being assaulted. For each of those things, I am thankful! But, my house could be gone in a moment if a tornado blew through my town. The value of my money could be lost (and it appears more likely it will be!) if the economy of these United States collapsed. My physical body is already starting to betray me as it ages and I know that one major illness could rob me of my strength!

Yes, all the things that I cling to for my security are ephemeral- here today, gone tomorrow; yet, I am not afraid! Here’s why. The fragile nature of life is wrapped in the unchanging promise of God. In fact, my weakness becomes the revealer of His strength. Yesterday, when my inability to control my world was squeezing down hard on me, I whined to a friend – “What does God want from me?” His answer was a reminder of what I already knew: “All of you!” Yes, the truth is that when I live with confidence in my illusory strengths, I rely less on God and the luster of His Spirit is dimmed. In that moment, I realized in a fresh way that through fragile, God’s Spirit is a my true strength. This treasure in me shines out in me when weakness tears away my own confidence.

The Scripture tells us that "We have this light (the Gospel of Christ Jesus) 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. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies." (2 Corinthians 4:7-10, NLT)

Disciple, is life great for you right now? Then, give thanks! Enjoy it, but don’t let yourself be tricked into thinking that you have somehow become a master of the universe. "Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore. …Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop." (Ecclesiastes 12:3, NLT)

Perhaps you’re in a different season, when you feel insecure or alone. Embrace your weakness! No, not in a whiny, misery-laden, complaining way. Invite God to shine in you revealed in your time of weakness. "He said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NLT)

______________

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible
Hid from our eyes;
Most blessed, most glorious,
The Ancient of Days;
Almighty, victorious,
Thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting
And silent as light;
Nor wanting, nor wasting,
Thou rulest in might.
Thy justice, like mountains,
High soaring above;
Thy clouds, which are fountains
Of goodness and love.

To all, life Thou givest,
To both great and small;
In all, life Thou livest,
The true life of all;
We blossom and flourish
As leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish
But naught changeth Thee.

Great Father of glory,
Pure Father of light;
Thine angels adore Thee
All veiling their sight.
All praise we would render,
O help us to see
'Tis only the splendor
Of light hideth Thee.

Amen.

Immortal Invisible
Smith, Walter Chalmers / Robert, John
© Public Domain