Of Dust and Glory
Did you know the human body consists of the same basic elements as topsoil? It shouldn’t surprise us. The Bible tells us in Genesis 2:7, “Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”
When we enter this world, the first sound from our tiny vessel is a wail. Breath in our lungs. Each individual’s cry is unique, based on the length of one’s vocal cords, like a fingerprint in sound waves.
It is truly amazing that we share the same basic elements of dirt and yet, with the breath of life in our lungs, we can fill the earth with song, poetry, verbal communication, etc.
Three percent of the population has gray-colored eyes and two percent share green.
One percent of the population is ambidextrous (able to write with both the left and the right hand).
Red hair occurs in only two percent of the population.
Then there are those of us who can hear any musical note and perfectly replicate it. One in ten thousand have this ability called perfect pitch.
Isn’t God’s design in humanity incredible? Our physical traits are not the only things that will be unique only to us, but also our life experience. Our suffering will be distinctive to our personal journeys as well.
These unique journeys of suffering have the potential to transform our lives if given into the hands of the Almighty creator. I have experience that in my own brokenness dwells the glory of the living God. He lives there.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3)
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted. (Isaiah 61:1)
This term brokenhearted literally means to be shattered. Have you encountered this before? Can you identify your greatest disappointment?
In the Bible there are many whose lives are marked by suffering. Joseph’s story appears in Genesis 37-46. Joseph was the favored son of Jacob and was given a robe of many colors, signifying Jacob’s intent to make Joseph the next head of the clan, even though he was not the first-born son of Jacob’s sons.[1] This caused jealousy to rise in the hearts of his brothers. Some of these brothers had seen their own mother, Leah, treated poorly. The Bible says Leah was unloved by Jacob and the Lord saw this and gave her children.
Joseph in turn was hated from his youth. His dreams of ruling over the entire family pushed his brothers over the edge. They ambushed him and sold him as a slave to traders on their way to Egypt. He faced the ultimate betrayal: the rejection of his own family.
As a slave, Joseph entered the house of Potiphar, where he prospered because the LORD was with him. Everything he touched flourished. Potiphar’s wife also saw this and wanted Joseph for herself. When he refused to dishonor his God and master, she falsely accused him, and he was thrown into prison.
In prison Joseph flourished again, because the text tells us the LORD was with him. It is there, through interpreting dreams by the gift of God, that he rose to power as second only to Pharaoh and saves the known world at the time through a sweeping famine. Joseph tells his brothers in the end, “You meant this for evil, but God has used it for good” (Genesis 50:20, paraphrased).
The Lord uses the life of Joseph to show us the very things that have sought to destroy and shatter us have the potential to bring beauty from ashes.
In Psalm 147:3, the word “brokenhearted” is a term used for the breaking of pottery.[2] Our heart is compared to an earthen vessel, able to be broken. I have experienced this crushing experience personally.
What good can come from being brokenhearted or crushed in spirit?
When creating pottery, a few steps must be accomplished to have success. Clay is a type of mineral soil, sometimes containing various degrees of aluminum, iron, potassium, sodium, and calcium. It is very fine in texture, making it moldable. When mixed with water and crafted by the potter’s hands, this clay can be formed into any kind of vessel. It needs to dry out and then be placed in a kiln (pottery oven), where it is heated up to 2,000 degrees. Only when it has been in fire that hot can the clay vessel be used for carrying water and baking.
A potter knows that, if he wants to create a durable vessel that can withstand more intense heat, he needs to add something to the clay when it is being formed.
That additive mix is called grog. Grog looks like dust. It is the dust of pottery that has been already fired and then crushed. The potter takes the dust of previously broken pieces of pottery and adds it to the new clay. This grog will allow the clay to be formed into a larger and stronger vessel that can withstand hotter fires.
Jesus revealed something powerful to me during my season of crushing. He did not explain why these events happened in my life or take the pain away. But He reminded me of His scars.
He said, “I understand.” He knew what it was like to be shattered. On one of His last days with His disciples, He took bread and broke it, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you.” He was betrayed, beaten, crucified, rejected, and abandoned.
He showed me that He is the grog for our souls. This incredible additive makes all the difference.
He takes our brokenness, adds living water and grog (His own suffering) to our souls, and we are made stronger like fine pottery.
Bring your brokenness to Jesus and ask Him to transform it. It is then that God uses our unique suffering to bring about great glory.
But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to 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 manifested in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)
Written by Kori, Life in Messiah staff
How has God used suffering in your life to accomplish something positive?
The psalms of lament remind us that suffering is a universal human experience across time and distance. Which passages have comforted your heart when sorrowing?
In 2 Corinthians 1:4 we are reminded that God has comforted us so we can in turn comfort others. Who would the Lord have you extend comfort and compassion to today?
The Jewish community around the world is "shattered" and "crushed," not only because of the atrocities of October 7th and the ongoing war, but also the world's response of hatred and false accusation. How might you help comfort the Jewish community during this time?
Endnotes
[1] “Why Did Jacob Give Joseph a Coat of Many Colors?” Gotquestions.org. Last updated January 4. 2022. https://gotquestions.org/coat-many-colors.html.
[2] "H7665 - šāḇar - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (esv)." Blue Letter Bible. Accessed 19 Jun, 2024. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7665/esv/wlc/0-1/.