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| For now we see through a glass darkly, but then we shall see face to face. 1 Corinthians 13:12 |
A friend pointed me to the book of 2 Corinthians today. That is another beautiful thing -- when brothers and sisters point each other to true life in the Scriptures. There is something to be said for knowing where someone is in their struggles and pointing them to a passage in the Bible where you feel God may speak to them in their situation. It is not for sure it will take root in their hearts, but there is nothing to lose if we point them to it and then pray that it will. In fact, it is more likely there is something to lose if we don't.
I thank God because the soil of my heart was open when I finally read 2 Corinthians 4-5. I read...
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart...
I looked back, realizing the ministry it was talking about was ministry of the Spirit, which, in my life right now, takes the form of encouraging several close friends and family of mine who are having trouble believing God is good in their suffering. I read on.
...But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, which is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of Jesus Christ.
This made me think of the Muslim woman that I want to keep a relationship going with for the purpose of showing her that Jesus is working in my life and that the way to Him is better than the way she is taking. The gospel may be veiled to her for now, but this is a reminder how important it is to pray for God to protect her from having her mind blinded by the god of this world to the glory of Christ. This takes off the pressure from me because I am not proclaiming myself but Jesus Christ as Lord, and myself as Jesus' servant. It is not me she is rejecting, it is God. That gets my selfishness out of the way. I kept reading.
...But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
Wow! No kidding. It's up to God and not me? This is good news. HE is the powerful One and I just follow as He gives me the privilege to be part of His plan for salvation to those whom He chooses. I need to be reminded of this so much...
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
I forget that this life of following God is full of things that feel like death because I am in the process of dying to sin in myself and living to righteousness. I am called to carry around the death of Jesus so that His life may also be manifested in me! If this is to what I am called, it does mot make sense to be surprised at suffering. I am not surprised... I think my problem is that I forget the reason I can have joy in the midst of it -- I am living God's call. This reminds me that His power is perfected in my weaknesses. NOTHING can overcome the power of God! When I am having a good day, it is He who gives that gift, and He is glorified; when I suffer, I know that His life will be manifested in my flesh as well, and He is glorified; when I am strong, it is because of Him and He is glorified; when my weaknesses show, His power is so much more obvious in my life, and He is glorified!
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written," I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
I am realizing more and more the temporary nature of this life, sometimes to the point of thinking everything is vanity, even serving God. I need to keep being reminded to look at the things that are seen in light of the things that are unseen, the transient in light of the eternal, because that gives the transient eternal value. I want to increase thanksgiving -- my own and those around me -- by extending the grace that I have been given to more and more people.
For we know that if he tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we grown, being burdened -- not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
Twice, it says, "while we are in this tent we groan", and this is what I find myself doing more and more, longing to be further clothed so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by true Life. And even now I am being prepared for this by the One who gave me the Spirit as a guarantee. I think it all comes back to patience and trusting God's timing is best and that, somehow, though I long to be with Jesus now, He wants me to have hope for the present because, like all His gifts, it is good. Isn't that why it is called the present?
So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
Twice, he says, "we are of good courage." Is this You speaking to my fears, Father? Sometimes I am afraid of being at home in the body and away from you. Please give me enough faith to walk by, and help me to make it my aim to please you in the present.
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