I love the writings of the apostle Paul. He was real. He didn’t
paint himself as this holier than thou figure that was untouchable and perfect.
He talked about his issues and his past and how God’s mercy spared him and set
him on the right path. He talks about the difficulties that we face on this
Christian journey but also gives us the hope to continue. I was first
introduced to him by my mother. I remember growing up that her most profound
sermons would come from his writings. Even when I didn’t understand who he was,
she spoke so highly of him that it resonated with me. I’m not doing a Mother’s
Day topic but I had to take a moment and shout my mama out because she gave me
the gift of the Word at an early age. She didn’t beat me over the head with it but
she lived it. She’s similar to Paul in that she will keep it real with you because
of the things that she has experienced but you know that it’s coming from a
place of love. I didn’t always understand but I’m seeing the fruit now.
This week, I was reminded of some of those lessons as it seemed
that I talked with quite a few people in my life that have been struggling with
various circumstances. I, myself, have had attacks on my faith and I had to go
in my prayer closet and encourage myself. Even as I sat down to write this
entry, I asked God why it seemed like all of my entries were about struggle.
But He led me to one of my favorite of Paul’s writings, 2 Corinthians 4 and I
understood. Sometimes it’s hard for us to see God in our hard places. Maybe it’s
a job that we don’t like or our money is funny or we are lonely. You may even be a prayer warrior, know how to
fast, and can quote a scripture in a heartbeat but sometimes the silence is
deafening and the response seems slow. But Paul reminds us in verse 8 that we
when we are one of God’s children, we always have hope. “We are
pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed,
but not driven to despair. We are hunted
down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not
destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies
continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be
seen in our bodies.” (NLT)
As I thought back over some of the conversations that I have had
this week and even looked at my own situation, I asked God to give me a word
that would touch the hearts of my readers and encourage them. You never know
what a person is going through. A lot of us are good at putting on the brave
face and calling it faith but our insides are torn up. I really believe God led
me to this chapter of scripture to make sure I remind myself and you that He
sees and cares. When it gets really hard, go back to Paul’s words in Romans 8:
28 and remember that these troubles will not last forever. “And we know that God causes everything to
work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to
His purpose for them.”
A wise woman told me earlier this week that sometimes we are
going through things and are quick to say it’s the enemy but it’s actually the
Lord preparing you for the work He has for you to do. Sometimes we can’t see
past our present situation but we will see in the future how God took our
struggle and turned it into our testimony. I can tell someone in the future that
they can make it because I made it. “That
is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being
renewed every day. For our present
troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory
that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t 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 Cor. 4:16-18, NLT)
Be encouraged! AMEN
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