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
believed 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 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.
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Bob
Pardue is a member of
First
Baptist Church in
Lancaster, SC. He is ordained from Rich Hill
Baptist in Lancaster.
Want
to place this passage and commentary on your
website or e-zine for content?
This article about how to get
through bad times may be freely reprinted or
distributed in its entirety in any e-zine,
newsletter, blog, or website. The author's name,
bio, and website links must remain intact
and be included with every reproduction.
Bob
Verses are from Life Application Study
Bible: New International Version
Comments are welcome. Please email
me with any questions or comments you
may have.
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