2 Corinthians 4
Paul’s Letters
God gave us all a new way, a new opportunity, and there is no room for quitters. We are not messing around with sneaky, manipulative tactics. No spin or deceit, just the straight truth and everyone else can judge us off that. If others still cannot see it, it is because the enemy has their blinders on from seeing how amazing Jesus really is. We weren’t put on this earth to promote ourselves. Jesus is King. The same God who flipped a switch and said “let there be light” also made it so the light shines in our hearts so that we could know the glory of God, and that is through Jesus.
If we are not willing to recognize the sin in our lives, we refuse to see the truth and cannot accept the gift of forgiveness that God offers us through a relationship with Jesus. As we reflect honestly on our lives, God will help us see where we need to change. Then we can confess our sin and trust Jesus to forgive us to make the needed changes.
Here is the catch…. We are of the most fragile of any living thing to exist. We are breakable. We don’t see it, but we are all wrapped in “Handle With Care” tape. But that is also the point. When something this powerful comes though people this weak, it is obvious the power isn’t coming from us, it is coming from God. We are pulled in every direction. We get knocked down but never knocked out. As others see God’s work in our lives, they may hopefully gain the courage to face and conquer their own sins and areas of weakness with God’s help.
Well, we are not quitting! Sure, our bodies on the outside tend to dwindle as the years go by, but on the inside we are being renewed every single day. This hard stuff we go through?? It is actually producing something – a weight of eternal glory so massive it makes the suffering look tiny by comparison. The key is keeping your eyes on what you can’t see. Everything you can see is just temporary. Everything you can’t see is forever.
We may have to wait awhile for God’s eternal blessings, but if we trust Him to help us in this life of decay, we can be sure of his blessing in the future.
My prayer:
Father, when I feel squeezed, confused, and knocked down – remind me that I am not crushed, abandoned, or destroyed. You are renewing me from the inside out, even when I cannot feel it.