The Upper Room: A wonderful daily devotional to share with you.

I receive the Upper Room Devotional by email each day. Many times I quickly read through it, especially as I recognize the text upon which they are focusing. As a pastor, I've used parts of the following text in funerals to celebrate how someone with an illness or disease endured their final days. As I read through the July 10th reading this morning (I'm a little behind on things!), it spoke to me in amazing ways in relation to how we as members of the Body of Christ and the world around us should see each other. I hope you enjoy it as well. If you've like to receive this devotional on a daily basis, read all the way to the bottom. I realize there is a copyright law involved in sharing this, but I believe that they would be very happy to know that their work is helping to build God's kingdom here on earth...

Thursday, July 10, 2008
Let Us Pray with You
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Cracked Pots

Suggested Bible Reading
Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from 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; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture--"I believed, and so I spoke"--we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
-2 Corinthians 4:1-18 (NRSV)

Today's ScriptureWe have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.
-2 Corinthians 4:7 (NRSV)

MY life in Christ has helped me to accept the nature of the clay jar that I am. I have weaknesses. I have strengths. For some people who know me, my strengths outweigh my weaknesses. For others, my weaknesses outweigh my good traits. But we all live somewhere between what we have been and what God is reshaping us to be.
This is an image of God's kingdom. We live in an "already-but-not-yet" time. God's salvation in Christ has already come, but it is not yet enjoyed by all people and all creation. Jesus gave us a glimpse of God's future glory, but its full realization remains future. We live between the already of what God has done and the not-yet of what God will do. The work God has begun in us is not complete.
Yet God's glory is seen clearly in our sinful, broken, imperfect humanity. "We have this treasure in clay jars." We can focus on the clay jar, or we can focus on the treasure. We can condemn each other for being a cracked, chipped, misshapen, leaky, brittle, traditional, or contemporary jar. But if we focus on the treasure, we have hope - hope for me, for you, for enemies as well as friends, for the world - because the treasure is God's extraordinary power at work in us.
Mike Ripski (Tennessee, U.S.A.)
Prayer
Dear God, fulfill your purposes in the world and in us. Amen.
Thought for the Day

Today, I will look for God's treasure in myself and others.

Prayer Focus
For the peace of God among all people

Related Reading
Companions in Christ: The Way of Transforming Discipleship (Participant's Book)Discover what spiritual formation and authentic spirituality are all about in THE WAY OF TRANSFORMING DISCIPLESHIP, the sixth title in the Companions in Christ series. Reflect on what your faith means in terms of who you are, how you must change, how you deal with pain, and how you relate to others.
The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.PLEASE SHARE THIS MINISTRY with a friend. Invite them to sign up for the free E-Mail Devotional by visiting: http://www.upperroom.org/devotional/email/Copyright © 2008 by The Upper Room. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce or redistribute without written permission from the publisher. http://www.upperroom.org