If You Want to be "Light" in the World, Get Ready for a Little Pounding
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us....For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us...." (2 Corinthians 4:7, 17)
"....Our light affliction...is working for us"--------------------- not against us.
Things grow old and so do people, "our outward man is perishing." Our car has over 111,000 miles on it and is showing age, but, hey, no payment, and it still runs well. As for my, "outward man," no more two or three steps at a time, not that I couldn't, you understand; it's just if I want to breathe at the top, well............
This chapter is concise Biblical Theology. It reminds us that these old, "earthen vessels," may be battered by the storms of life, but never, "crushed--forsaken--destroyed." They are, "delivered to death for Jesus' sake so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." Yes, this speaks of persecution, but also the Bible Theological truth, "My strength is made perfect in weakness," or, "Our light affliction...is working for us...."
Twice in the chapter Paul says, "We do not lose heart," first, because, "we have received mercy;" secondly, "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day." And it is in the verse following where the Holy Spirit says to you and me, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory...."
My weary traveler, "Fix your eyes on Jesus," our, "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory....Do not look at the things which are seen, but the things which are unseen,..the things which are...eternal." Then whatever the storm, "....the rain descended the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the Rock."
Father, in Jesus' Name, help me today to live in the reality that my, "light affliction...is working for us." Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
