Click here to go to 2 Corinthians 4
So far 2 Corinthians doesn't seem to have the harsh overtones that we saw in 1 Corinthians. I like several of the verses in this chapter.
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
I haven't come close to facing the hardships that Paul did, but God took care of him throughout his life He's going to take care of me in mine.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[e] being renewed every day. 17 For
our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they
produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So
we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze
on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be
gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day! So good, so very, very good.
Be Blessed!
"7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.[b] This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves."
ReplyDeleteI love this image. No matter how broken our bodies are, our souls still shine when we have the power of God.
2 Corinthians 4 (The Message)
ReplyDelete13-16 We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe.
And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!
So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.
and... our Lane Hill House confirmation
Matthew 5
14-16 "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven."