2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - Why We Don't Give Up.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (Phillips) This is the
reason why we never lose heart. The outward man
does indeed suffer wear and tear, but every day
the inward man receives fresh strength. 17 These
little troubles (which really are so transitory)
are winning for us a permanent, glorious and
solid reward out of all proportion to our pain. 18
For we are looking all the time not at the
visible things but at the invisible. The visible
things are transitory: it is the invisible things
that are really permanent.
COMMENTARY PEARLS
Deep inside us, there is a sense of
something more in life that drives us on. No matter
what experiences youve had, no matter how
wonderful they were, they were just a glimpse of what
is still ahead. You are really homesick for a
place you have never been before, and that place
is Heaven. You were wired this way.
The Bible says that God has put eternity
in our hearts (see Ecclesiastes 3:11). This
simply means there is a sense inside of us that
there is more to life. That is what keeps us
moving forward.
It is sort of like the homing instinct we
see in the animal kingdom, like the salmon
making their way upstream with such determination.
We see it in the way the swallows return every
year to San Juan Capistrano. Its a homing
instinct that drives them.
We have the same thing, but it is a
homing instinct for a place we havent seen yet.
It is a homesickness for Heaven. Until that
day, there is nothing that will completely
satisfy our lives. No matter what happens to us on
Earth, it pales in comparison to this great hope.
The apostle Paul wrote, For our
present troubles are small and wont last very
long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly
outweighs them and will last forever! So we dont
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 (2
Corinthians 4:17"18 NLT).
This is the hope of the Christian - the
hope of a place called Heaven. There is a better
world ahead. There is something greater than what
were experiencing now. [Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Embrace it. Accept it. Don't resist it.
Change is not only a part of life; change is a
necessary part of God's strategy. To use us to change
the world, he alters our assignments. Gideon:
from farmer to general; Mary: from peasant girl
to the mother of Christ; Paul: from local rabbi
to world evangelist. God transitioned Joseph
from a baby brother to an Egyptian prince. He
changed David from a a shepherd to a king. Peter
wanted to fish the Sea of Galilee. God called him
to lead the first church. God makes
reassignments.
But, someone might ask, what about the
tragic changes God permits? Some seasons make no
sensedo such moments serve a purpose?
They do if we see them from an eternal
perspective. What makes no sense in this life will make
perfect sense in the next. I have proof: you in the
womb.
I know you don't remember this prenatal
season, so let me remind you what happened during
it. Every gestation day equipped you for your
earthly life. Your bones solidified, your eyes
developed, the umbilical cord transported nutrients
into your growing framefor what reason? So you
might remain enwombed? Quite the contrary. Womb
time equipped you for earth time, suited you up
for your postpartum existence.
Some prenatal features went unused before
birth. You grew a nose but didn't breathe. Eyes
developed, but could you see? Your tongue, toenails,
and crop of hair served no function in your
mother's belly. But aren't you glad you have them
now?
Certain chapters in this life seem so
unnecessary, like nostrils on the preborn. Suffering.
Loneliness. Disease. Holocausts. Martyrdom. Monsoons. If
we assume this world exists just for pregrave
happiness, these atrocities disqualify it from doing
so. But what if this earth is the womb? Might
these challenges, severe as they may be, serve to
prepare us, equip us for the world to come? As Paul
wrote, "These little troubles are getting us ready
for an eternal glory that will make all our
troubles seem like nothing" (2 Corinthians 4:17 CEV).
From Fearless [Max Lucado Daily Devotional at
maxlucado.com]
The words weight of glory conjure
up images of the ancient pan scale. Remember
the blindfolded lady of justice? She holds a
pan scale- two pans, one on either side of the
needle. The weight of a purchase would be
determined by placing weights on one side and the
purchase on the other.
God does the same with your struggles. On
one side he stacks all your burdens. Famines.
Firings. Parents who forgot you. Bosses who ignored
you. Bad breaks, bad health, bad days. Stack
them up, and watch one side of the pan scale
plummet.
Now witness Gods response. Does he
remove them? Eliminate the burdens? No, rather
than take them, he offsets them. He places an
eternal weight of glory on the other side. Endless
joy. Measureless peace. An eternity of him.
Watch what happens as he sets eternity on your
scale.
Everything changes! The burdens lift.
The heavy becomes light when weighed against
eternity. If life is just a moment, cant we
endure any challenge for a moment?
We can be sick for just a moment.
We can be lonely for just a moment.
We can be persecuted for just a moment.
We can struggle for just a moment.
Cant we?
Cant we wait for our peace? Its
not about us anyway. And its certainly not
about now. [Max Lucado Daily Devotional at
maxlucado.com]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Gaze at Me; glance at problems - this is
the secret of living victoriously. Your tendency
is to gaze at problems for prolonged periods of
time, glancing at Me for help. This is natural for
someone with a fallen mind living in a fallen world.
However, I have called you to live supernaturally,
and I have empowered you to do so. The Holy
Spirit, who lives in all My followers, enables you
to live beyond yourself - to transcend your
natural tendencies.
Ask My Spirit to help you fix your gaze
on Me. Invite Him to alert you whenever you get
overly focused on problems so you can redirect your
attention to Me. This is hard work, because it is not
only unnatural but also countercultural.
Moreover, the evil one and his demons seek to distract
you from My Presence. All these influences
working together put massive pressure on you to pay
attention to your problems - or else! So you need the
assistance of My Spirit continually. Ask Him to help
you deal with difficulties as needed, while
reserving the bulk of your attention for Me - your
constant Companion. (Heb. 12:2; John 14:16, 17; 2Co.
4:18) [Jesus Today by Sarah Young]
I am with you in all that you do, even in
the most menial task. I am always aware of you,
concerned with every detail of your life. Nothing
escapes My notice - not even the number of hairs on
your head. However, your awareness of My Presence
falters and flickers; as a result, your life
experience feels fragmented. When your focus is broad
enough to include Me in your thoughts, you feel
safe and complete. When your perception narrows
so that problems or details fill your
consciousness, you feel empty and incomplete.
Learn to look steadily at Me in all your
moments and all your circumstances. Though the world
is unstable and in flux, you can experience
continuity through your uninterrupted awareness of My
Presence. Fix your gaze on what is unseen, even as the
visible world parades before your eyes. (Mat.
10:29-31; Heb. 11:27; 2Co. 4:18) [Jesus Calling by
Sarah Young]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20181114-0955.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies:
http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug
Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by Pastor John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
