2 Corinthians 4

2 Corinthians 4

Paul was writing to share his own walk and it was to encourage those believers who also dealing with some of the same issues in their own ministry, when they reach that point in ministry that they are tired, broken, beaten down, perplexed , hard pressed, and even some who may have felt defeated.

Ladies, Paul writes this chapter for those who did and would experience these things. Who would be faced with great difficulties and who would encounter troubled times.

The GREAT thing about this letter is that Paul writes: “DO NOT LOSE HEART!”

I hope you will read this chapter more than just once. Take a moment and look at all the things he challenges us to remember:

Don’t lose heart if you are not seeing fruit.
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.”
2 Corinthians 4:3-5

I pray today, you will walk with boldness and that you will not preach yourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord, and you will become their servants for Jesus’ sake.

2. Dealing with: Feeling hard pressed on every side, perplexed , Persecuted, Struck down, Paul wrote “ Don’t lose heart, you won’t be : Crushed, don’t despair, you won’t be forsaken, and you will not be destroyed.

“Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” 4:10
Paul writes this just after he talks about those emotions, sufferings that some if not all of us have experienced.

Say this with me: “Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
What a powerful verse! Can you visualize this verse taking place right now in your life? Can you see that this time of being hard pressed on every side causing death to come so that life may be raised up? You are being transformed, what a beautiful picture!

The next 2 verses complete verse 10:
“For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you.”

When I read that the first thing that I could visually see was Paul writing this and I’m sure he was picturing those believers he was writing this to that they would personally identify with this statement. He was letting them know, it isn’t for nothing all this suffering, it is for purpose that life may come and that it would be evident in you!
Paul closes with what I think we all need to be reminded of when we are faced with difficult days: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“There fore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Oh ladies, I pray you see the difficult days as not something to be feared or dreaded. But that you and I both would be renewed and strengthened if not even challenged to realize that it is through these times in our life that Christ allows us to be transformed further into His Image. May we not lose heart or hope when we see our outward man is perishing but may we truly be renewed everyday because though the outward man is perishing we are being transformed. And not only that but life is being started in others when we share what Christ is doing in and through us! Don’t get caught in the trap of those things that are temporary but invest and give to those things that are not seen which are eternal!

Lord, I pray I/we would not LOSE HEART! I do feel hard pressed, beaten, forsaken and so often defeated. I pray for those women who also have these feelings and experiences. I pray for a renewed since of HOPE and a desire to grow through these times to allow our flesh to die so that Christ may live! I pray that from these experiences we would be light shining into the darkness!

I pray for this day that we would keep our eyes on You Lord Jesus and that we would surrender every part of ourselves to Your will and work!

I pray this in Your Son’s name!
The Name of Jesus,
Amen.