2 Corinthians 4:7

New King James Version

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

For meditation

 As a child of God, do you know that the only time you can have the proper perspective of yourself is to behold yourself in the mirror of His word? Where else can you find the light of God to “shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4: 6)?

When we take the time to look at ourselves from the perspective of the word of God, what we see humbles us. We see His holiness and our sinfulness that demand confession and repentance. God’s word penetrates our hearts to reveal our attitudes and intentions—it lays bare the intentions and motives of our hearts before Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews4:12-13). 

Isaiah saw the Lord in His regal setting and cried out in brokenness. He cried out and lamented his ruin. In his sinful state, he saw the glory of the King, the Lord Almighty, and it slayed him (Is. 6:5). 

Isn’t that humbling? No one sees the glory of God and remains the same, yet we forget that the word we read daily is Himself. He reveals His glory to us through His word as we come to Him daily, seeking intimate fellowship with Him. Do our minds and hearts come with us, and are they tuned to Him? 

The word of God is not just a standard of living, but a potent tool for transformation. When we miss the mark, we deny ourselves the life-changing power of the word of God. It renews our minds and reveals His will to us, guiding us for a closer walk with Him (Rm. 12:2).

The word of God helps us avoid a distorted view of ourselves, especially when we move in the grace gifts. As James warns, we must be careful not to walk away from the mirror of His Word and quickly forget what it revealed to us about ourselves (Jas. 1:24). 

We profit by thinking of ourselves with sober judgment (Rm. 12:3) when we assess ourselves by the standard of His word to grow by it. And here, it is helpful to remind ourselves that we are mere jars of clay containing God’s precious gifts (2 Cor. 4:6-7). None of them, including life, is our own—it is pure grace.

Every time we engage God in His word, He reveals who we are to us and how we look before His watchful eyes. This grace of introspection is a gift for us to stay connected and in step with our Lord Jesus Christ (Heb, 12:1-2).

Therefore, allow this sobering thought to humble you before the Holy One, who has endowed you with this gracious treasure beyond human imagination. God has so gifted you to build the body up and empower you for His glory.

Pray with Me

Father, let your Holy Spirit constantly remind us that we are fragile earthen vessels you have filled with everything for life and your glory. Keep us humbled, Lord, by this sober reflection so that we can walk with you in untainted obedience. In Christ Jesus, we pray, amen.