In 1947, Bedouin men herding goats in the hills to the west of the Dead Sea entered a cave near Wadi Qumran in the West Bank and stumbled on clay jars filled with leather scrolls. After this initial discovery, treasure hunters and archaeologists went on to find the remains of hundreds of other ancient scrolls.

The excitement of this discovery was due to the greatly preserved pieces of parchment and papyrus. This, in addition to finding the oldest existing copies of the Hebrew Bible, preserved for two thousand years by the hot, dry desert climate and the darkness of the caves where and the jars they were placed in.

Apparently these were fragments of every book of the Hebrew Bible (except the Book of Esther). What they found was that some of these ancient copies are identical to the traditional text of the Hebrew Bible that is we use today.

What’s even more amazing than all this is the way God sees us in much the same way. We’re compared to jars of clay which although seem weak and fragile, have the ability to hold the powerful and redeeming word of God in us. This in order to not only empower us but more importantly, to empower others.

FX3 Challenge:

Pray:

Read and meditate on 2 Corinthians 4:7-9. What are these verses saying to you?

Pray:

Considering this analogy to jars of clay, how does it make you feel?

Meditate / Make It Real:

How will you be strengthen and encouraged to let God carry out his will in you?