 |
| Sallman |
But we
have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is
from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed,
perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not
dismayed.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9 (NIV)
I referred a friend to part of this passage on a Friday
night. I found myself recalling it the next day. I chose to journal about the
message. Doing that helped me get going and get some baking done.
this
treasure
God’s power, given to us because of His grace.
jars
of clay
our weak, frail,
and fallible bodies.
hard-pressed on
every side
the world sometimes presses in on our spirits. One thing
after another seems to wear us down.
not
crushed
the love of God
and His guidance, along with the prayers of His people keep us going.
perplexed
we can become puzzled by what we experience while we are
in this world.
not in despair
we are able, with God’s help to keep ourselves on the
right path.
persecuted
there will always be those who pick us apart, constantly
pointing out our faults.
not
abandoned
God tells us He will NEVER leave or forsake us.
struck down
Yes, sometimes we feel we are ‘down for the count’.
not destroyed
When we ask Him for help or someone intercedes for us in
prayer, God always speaks to us, showing us what to do and guiding us through
the tough times.
Oh, such a powerful scripture when you take it step by step as you did in this blog post Cecelia!
ReplyDeleteMarja: I thank you for your very kind comment.
DeleteSo thankful for the truths of these words from God's Word. Very encouraging to know that even when we are down...we are not "out". God is still there with us, lifting us up an helping us get back in the game. I love the song, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow"...That keeps us going, knowing that Christ is alive...and because He lives, we too shall live! Amen.
ReplyDeleteYes, Pam, it is encouraging. On Saturday, I tried to do something nice for someone but it backfired. ut God worked it out that I was not in trouble for trying to help. Yesterday, the special music was "Under His Wings". It is a touchin song.
DeleteThese are great descriptions for explaining this passage. I'm reading a book called Imagine Heaven by John Burke and it's about people who have had Near Death Experiences. It compares people from all over the world who have died in very different situations then revived and how each NDE is so much alike. How they felt and what they saw. How temporary our earthly bodies are, how temporary our lives are. It compares Scripture with what they saw and 99% of it is exactly how the Bible describes it. It's really been fascinating.
ReplyDeleteCindy: I just finished reading John Maxwell's Partners in Prayer. He tells of how his church grew because of an effort of one man to start praying for him and recruiting others to join him.
ReplyDeleteOne thought that keeps coming to my mind is that God gives us a certain number of days. (Psalm 139:16)