Beneath the Clay
by Harold Vaughan
Scripture Reading --1 Peter 1:7a
"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold."
In Bangkok, Thailand, in the mid-20th century, the government decided to build a large highway through a village. But in the path of the planned road sat a Buddhist monastery with a little chapel. The government had to relocate the monastery --including a heavy, 11-foot clay statue of Buddha --to another place. Using a crane, the government workers moved the monastery in sections.
When the workers transported the statue of Buddha to the new location and began to lower it into place, the clay on the statue began crumbling and falling off. The people were afraid because this religious symbol was precious to them, and they didn't want it destroyed. Yet the more the workers tried to place the statue, the more it fell apart. Eventually, all the clay fell off. Suddenly, the workers stared in amazement, realizing the statue was pure gold underneath. Before the statue was moved, people estimated it was worth about $50,000. Today, that golden Buddha is worth millions, and hundreds of thousands visit the site annually.
Things aren't always as they appear. Beneath the clay exterior, problems are solid gold. There is untold value in the trials God allows and designs for His people. Paul said the trying of our faith is "more precious than of gold" (1 Pet. 1:7).
You may be living a clay-pot existence. The trials you are going through are the means God is using to chip away the clay. Beneath the surface lies untold wealth. This is why we should welcome trials and not despise them. The benefits that emerge can be the source of untold value to many, many people.
Food for Thought: Read Hebrews 12:5-7. It tells us not to despise training, discipline, and correction from the Lord. Can you recall a difficult trial in your family or in the Bible that proved to be beneficial?
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