Treasure on the Inside - KSA Quarterly Volume# 12 Issue # 4 Date: May 2016

A traditional Uyghur home is an interesting place to visit. On the outside, it really doesn’t look like much, just a plain mud wall with maybe one little window cut out.  The exterior often looks chipped, old and weary; but when you enter through the door, it is like a whole different world: a wide spacious court yard with grape arbours providing shade to the outdoor seating, rooms filled with fancy woven carpets and brightly coloured mats for sitting on. The ceiling often has elaborate wood work. The selves hold china teapots and matching cups. The combination of it all makes a warm inviting home filled with whimsical colours and engaging patterns.  The unsuspecting passer-by would have no idea of the treasure found inside these homes, especially if they were only taking the time to judge them by their rough faced exterior. Uyghur homes aren’t the only things that have a treasure inside that far surpasses what is seen from the outside. The Apostle Paul tells us that we are all the same. We have the treasure of Jesus and his precious gospel in jars of clay. As I have spent time reflecting on the last couple of years of ministry and all God has done, I know that the surpassing power belongs to Him (2 Corinthians 4:7).