My most memorable experience at the Boise Art Museum (BAM) was an exhibit of vases of all sizes and shapes. I’ve often shared about this experience because it became a living Scripture verse for me. The vases were blown into their various shapes and then covered with layer upon layer of different colors, one on top of another. Then the artist scored and scarred with a tool through the various layers of these colors and created woodland and forest scenes. BAM placed a light in many of them and the brilliance of that light on the inside made these vases and scenes come alive.
And as I watched a film of the process and looked at these amazing works of art, I was immediately reminded of 2 Corinthians 4:7: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
Paul had just reminded his readers that God “made his light shine in our hearts” by giving us “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.’ Now he tells them that this glorious, brilliant light (our treasure) is housed in jars of clay—that’s us.
And just like the vases I saw at the BAM, created by that amazing artist, we too are scored and scarred by life, by trials, by difficulties. Our amazing God uses those things to reveal the treasure we received in Christ Jesus our LORD. What an amazing artist He is! And to think He’s in the business of transforming pots of clay into wondrous works of art to be displayed throughout eternity. Oh, my.
