Worth revisiting:
“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 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.” (II Corinthians 4:7-9 NLT)
Jesus shines in us and through us. God has made a deposit in us. In our frail human bodies God has deposited treasure. He’s given us power. It’s clear it’s not our power because of our human status, it’s His power. We carry something bigger in us. We can be boxed in, with trouble on every side but because of this treasure in us we will not, cannot, be crushed. It might look like we have no way out, but because of this treasure in us we are not driven to despair. We are not hopeless. People may hunt us but we are never alone because God will not abandon us. And while we may be knocked down we are not, cannot be destroyed because we have this treasure in us that is powered by God.
God has placed treasure in us. It’s brightness in a dark world. Just thinking that God loves us so much to put light and power in the fragile vessel that we are, just makes my heart overflow with love and awe. He doesn’t leave us defenseless. He gave us power to face anything that comes.
I’m reminded that Jesus prepared us for trouble and told us He has already defeated anything we may face. He left nothing to chance.
"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]" (John 16:33 AMPC)
Having this treasure, this light, God’s power in earthen vessels remind us that we can victoriously face anything because it really can’t hurt us. Our eternity is sealed. In Him we have great power, something we should never forget or make light of.
We can be pressed on every side by troubles but these troubles cannot crush us. They cannot change the course of our lives if we remember that Jesus already them. It can even look like there is no way out, that we are defeated, but we don’t have to be driven to despair. As believers we will be hunted down, persecuted, ridiculed for what we believe. While the world may see us as expendable God doesn’t. He will never leave us or forsake us. We have His Word on that.
“For He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]: (Hebrews 13:5b AMPC)
Life may knock us down but we don’t have to stay down. We can get back up through the power of God that is at work in us.
“But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O my enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.” (Micah 7:7-8 AMPC)
Falling is not our destiny, or a destination, it's a moment in time meant to teach us something. Get up and walk in what you learned!
Be Encouraged! ❤
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