Good morning, all! Father, we trust Your plan and Your strength in us. And while we may face some uncertainty Your hand is always certain, it both guides and holds us up. We know that You alone hold the world in Your hands, and nothing catches You off guard or by surprise, Amen. You ever look at life circumstances and lose heart?

2 Corinthians 4

1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
Now that we have an awareness of the ministry we’ve been given by God and WE have been powered by His mercy, DON’T lose heart.

2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Rather renounce the HIDDEN things that are NOT honest with us…NOT walking in craftiness…NOR handling the word of God by twisting it; but by the expression of truth we commend EVERY man’s conscience in God’s sight.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory;
Our LIGHT troubles which last for a moment, they actually are the working of God which produce glory in our life much greater that hold us together for eternity.

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.
This is why we DON’T look at these circumstances all around us, but we look at the things which are NOT seen, for what we experience is temporary but the things which are NOT seen are eternal.

Bottom line

I love this piece of scripture where Paul is encouraging the church to NOT lose heart, and while we may face some afflictions it’s only for a moment…not forever. And what causes us to lose heart?

[2Co 4:4 KJV] In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. We lose heart because we live in such a little world that has BLINDED our MIND, I don’t believe life is good, in fact, I’m so blind I can’t see this glorious LIGHT which is shining all over in life. If we can’t see the light, it’s NOT failure of the light shining, it’s failure of my mind…my thinking…because I look at the world instead of heaven…God. There is a God that’s invisible and controls all that we see but much greater than that is ALL that is NOT seen. How big is your world? Does it include things that are eternal or only that which is temporary? Paul begins with explaining what some of the temporary things are, the first one we should get rid of is the things that are “hidden” …can’t be seen and “dishonest” …they bear NO truth. You know what’s hidden in my life that’s not an eternal? My emotions, they’re NOT eternal they’re temporary…love you one day and hate you the next. Why do you think Paul encourages them to commend every man’s conscience?

[Heb 9:14 NIV] How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! You know how you commend others? You CLEANSE their conscience NOT condemn them, the spirit of God inside of us is eternal it is not hidden, and it will NOT be dishonest with others. Think about it, when we look at what others say and do and condemn them for it, we do it for one reason…we’re selfish, we have elevated ourselves at their expense. Does that sound like the spirit of God?

[Rom 12:3 KJV] For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath given to every man the measure of faith. According to the word of God, we should NOT think more highly than any other person among us, why? Well again according to God’s word, HE has given EVERY person faith…that which is eternal…that which commends…that which will NOT lie. Sounds like “OUR Father” in heaven really is the Father of EVERY man and because He is, EVERY man has the MEASURE which is Christ. I mean who doesn’t belong to God? [Rom 9:5 NIV] Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. When we know God and trust God and believe He is for us, why would we ever lose heart? Let’s keep our eyes on God and not the afflictions of life and when you do will find His glory every time.

Point to Ponder

Can you see the light of heaven? [Isa 5:30 KJV] And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if [one] look unto the land, behold darkness [and] sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. Not when you let your emotions roar and darken the land because you choose to see problems in life, and when you do your heaven is dark and has NO light…the only cure for blindness…MERCY!

Let’s keep the faith and live by His mercy, In Him Phil

Faith – Family – Friends