2 Corinthians 4:1-15
Give
Thanks Even in Times of
Trouble
4:1
Therefore, since
through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do
not lose heart.
2 Rather, we have renounced
secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception,
nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary,
by setting forth the truth plainly we commend
ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of
God.
3 And even if our gospel is
veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
4 The god of this age has
blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they
cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of
Christ, who is the image of God.
5 For we do not preach
ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves
as your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 For God, who said, "Let
light shine out of darkness,"made his light shine
in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
7 But we have this treasure
in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing
power is from God and not from us.
8 We are hard pressed on
every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in
despair;
9 persecuted, but not
abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
10 We always carry around in
our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of
Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
11 For we who are alive are
always being given over to death for Jesus' sake,
so that his life may be revealed in our mortal
body.
12 So then, death is at work
in us, but life is at work in you.
13 It is written: "I
believed; therefore I have spoken. With that same
spirit of faith we also believe and therefore
speak,
14 because we know that the
one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will
also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in
his presence.
15 All this is for your
benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more
and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow
to the glory of God.
-
This
is the Word of the Lord ... It is meant to
change the way that we think, and the way that
we live.
Commentary
by Bob Pardue
Give Thanks and
Allow God to Comfort You
Paul is speaking first hand
about suffering because he had been persecuted many
times before. But he knew that the pain and
persecution would one day be over, and he would
obtain God's rest and rewards.
As we face great troubles,
it's easy to focus on the pain rather than on our
ultimate goal.
And, many feel that being
comforted by God means that they will no longer
have the trouble they have prayed about. If we
believe this, the only time we would need to call
out and seek God would be to get relief from a
sickness or be helped out of a bind (sometimes of
our own doing).
No, God's comfort is just as
it says; comfort in our time of trouble and
not necessarily bailing us out of
trouble.
Just as a marathon runner
keeps her eyes set on the finish line and ignores
the pain and fatigue she feels in her legs, we too
must focus on the reward of our faith and the joy
that will be with us forever.
What happens to us in this
life is of no great consequence. We still have the
assurance of eternal life given by Christ's
sacrifice, when all suffering will end and all
sorrow will flee away (Isaiah 35:10).
The next time you are in a
troubled state or feel overwhelmed, allow God to
comfort you. He may not remove the trouble but He
will help give you the strength and encouragement
to finish the race.
Love in Christ
- Bob
If you have never made the
commitment to receive the love and life-changing
experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment to
go
here and take the
first
steps to salvation.
Verses about why we should give thanks are
from Life Application Study Bible: New
International Version
Another lesson to
remember
Why
A Pastor Should Be A Leader
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