The Broken Vessel is of Great Value

Author: Rev. Esther Holmes
May 10, 2018
Think about it!   John 12:24; Mark 14:3-9. The alabaster box could never be used again. Self – dead, buried, outward man.  The ointment – the Holy Spirit.  This was the only anointing Christ received because He resurrected before they could do it. God is pleased when we allow His breaking.  If the alabaster box is not broken, the pure and precious treasure inside will not flow out.
Many in the church treasure the box, thinking it is far more important than the oil inside.
1.  One treasures his cleverness, thinking he is important.
2.  One treasures his emotions, esteeming himself as quite important.
3.  Others highly regard themselves, thinking they are better than others.
4.  One may admire his quickness of action and exactness of judgment as superior.
5.  Some may think their talent is superior to others.
However we are not to be “vase admirers” but are to be those who desire to smell the fragrance of the ointment.  The Holy Spirit’s main purpose in our lives is to break the outward man so the inward one can flow out.
We fret over trifles and we murmur at small losses.  His Hand touches us and we feel unhappy and even quarrel with God.  We become negative in our attitude.
II Cor 4:7  So the treasure is in the earthen vessel.  No such thing as an ideal Christian.  II Cor 4:8-9; II Cor 12:10
Final objective of the Lord’s will in our lives.  1) To break the earthen vessel.  2)  To break our alabaster box.  3)  To crack open our shell.  Brokenness is the way of blessing.  The way of fragrance, the way of fruitfulness, and a path sprinkled with blood.
When He requires you to forgive, forgive.  Go when He calls even though you’re tired. Sing praises even though everything is upside down.  Trust Him when you’re doubting.
There are 2 different ways to break – gradual and all of a sudden.  The timing is in His hand.  Some He gives a sudden breaking followed by a gradual one.
Others the Lord arranges that they have constant, daily trials until one day they see Him bring about a large scale breaking (deliverance).   We can’t shorten the timing but we can prolong it by resisting Him, not allowing Him to deal with areas in our life.  The loss is great if you prolong the time.
Two reasons for not being broken:
1.  Many don’t recognize the hand of God when He is dealing with them.  They blame people and circumstances.
2.  Self love.  Ask Him to take away the heart of self love so you can be broken.
Remember that the one reason for all misunderstandings, all fretfulness, all discontentment is because we secretly love ourselves.  The box instead of the treasure of oil inside.   Ps 34:18
Not the destruction of the earthen vessel, nor the hopelessness rather the treasure in the earthen vessel – Christ.
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