We are a people desperate to be reminded of the hope we have.

Our flesh forgets. Our souls become downcast. Our eyes forget to look beyond the here and now.

We struggle to remember God can make a way when our limited imaginations can’t fathom any possible way.

And we, who possess eternal hope, spiral down as if we had none.

BUT, then, the Holy Spirit inside of us reminds us of truth. Oh God, give us ears to receive it and hearts to hold on to it:

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Cor 4:6-9)

In this life, hard things will come; but our goal cannot be peaceful circumstances.

Oh, there will be moments, this side of Heaven, where all feels right in our world… but they are only temporary glimpses of what is to come.

We have to lay down our need to hold on to what can’t be held in this life.

We have to lay down our idols of circumstantial comfort and peace.

For we are jars of clay…we will be chipped and cracked and even broken…but we have this treasure in jars of clay…”always carrying in the body of death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies”.

Because Jesus defeated death, nothing in this life can defeat those who call Him, Lord, not even death.

Because we have eternal life, we have eternal hope, a surpassing power that is of God, not of us, that cannot be destroyed by any earthly trouble.

If our goal in our Christianity is for God to fix our lives, just like we would have Him so we can experience peaceful circumstances all the time, we will be repeatedly disappointed.

For His ways are not our ways. (Isa 55:8-9)

But if our desire is to allow God to shine through our troubles, trials, and brokenness—we will find that “such hope” that Paul has been writing about.

“For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2 Cor 4:11)

These trials that perplex us, these persecutions that frustrate us, these times we’ve been struck down and think we can’t get up, are our greatest opportunities for others to see Jesus in us. May they be for the glory of God (v 15).

But theses hardships are also, often, our own greatest opportunities to remember for OURSELVES that treasure, that surpassing power, that He who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us. (v 14).

He will raise us!

For Jesus has done what we can never do for ourselves—He has made every problem we ever face in this world temporary.

So, while this day may bring trouble, because of Jesus we are still walking towards home in powerful victory.

Oh, let’s hold on to that! Let’s remind each other of that! Let’s walk forward in that!

What a Savior! What a POWERFUL Savior!

SaturdayThoughts

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