EXPAND TO READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 4 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verses 1, 16): I have failed so many times in this verse. You tell us that we should never give up; You tell us that even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed every day. I have failed to live in this verse so many times since coming to faith because I have given up at times on my spiritual progress. I have given up on leaning on You daily instead of self-reliance. I have given up on Your ways at times and instead gave into the worldly ways of living. I am sorry for this, Father, and I ask for Your forgiveness for these past mistakes. I can’t promise You that I will never again “give up” in the ways mentioned above, because I cannot tell the future nor can I be certain that my faith will always be as strong or stronger than it is now. What I can promise You is that I will at least try to be more receptive instead of stubborn/rebellious to the things You try to tell me here-and-there to get me back on Your path for my life.
PROMISE (verse 10): I never truly thought of it this way and I’m pretty sure I’ve read this entire chapter before. Thank You for illuminating Your wisdom to me as I’m ready to receive it, Father. In this verse You promise us that we carry both the death and life of Jesus with us in our bodies. I believe the death of Jesus is carried within us to save us from our sins and the life of Jesus is carried to give us a new life and identity through His resurrection. Thank You so much for these promises, Father. Thank You for revealing to me that we are truly carrying Jesus, both dead and alive, within us through this life for Your glory!
ATTITUDE (verse 5): I do struggle with the attitude of self-righteousness quite often in my life, Father. I often attribute my successes to myself and try to “pave my own way” in this life instead of truly and fully relying on You through it all. Help me to truly embrace an attitude of dependence and commitment to You in my life, Father, so that I can live out what this verse expects of me—to be a slave to Your will for my life because of Jesus’ sacrifices.
COMMAND (verses 1, 16): Anytime You repeat something in a single chapter of scripture, I find it hard not to see that as a command. You tell us twice in this short chapter “do not give up.” As I mentioned in my sin confession, I have given up and failed many times in my life since coming to faith out of selfishness, pain, anger, and even fear. I have not been faithful to You throughout my faith, even though You have always been faithful to me. Help me to live in this command of “not giving up” so that I can continue to glorify You in all that I am and all that I do.
EXAMPLE (verses 16-18): There are several examples in this one chapter, but the last three verses rang closest to my heart. The example You give here is how we are to live out our faith. You tell us that we are not to give up, but then You also tell us that we should never rely on the seen, because the seen will go away. You tell us to rely and believe on what is unseen because this is eternal. Help me to be better at living my life in a way that does not rely on the seen, Father. Help me to be better at living in a way that does not expect an immediate return in this life. Help me to always do Your works in this life, regardless of the outcome or return I receive as a result of those actions, because Your works are far more important to Your kingdom and my eternity than anything I may receive in this life.
*DAILY NOTE: Once again, You are speaking loudly to me all throughout this scripture. Right off the bat, in verse 1, You tell me “do not give up.” I have failed at this quite often as I mentioned above, so thank You for the reminder. Thank You for “sandwiching” this scripture with that same statement at the beginning and end. I am slowly but surely becoming soft, moldable clay all over, Father, as I progress in my faith walk with You. I hope and pray that I will continue to soften so that You can remove the old and mold me into the new creation that You’ve expected of me; the new creation that is built up by Your truth in a way that glorifies Your kingdom and not myself.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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