Daily Devotion – June 2, 2021 – Dr. Pat Taylor Ellison
2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
4:13 But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture–“I believed, and so I spoke” –we also believe, and so we speak,
4:14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence.
4:15 Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
4:16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.
4:17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,
4:18 because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
This passage of Paul is from the larger “treasure in clay jars†section of his letter. Paul argues that even though life is perishable and fragile, the more it wastes away, the more we can see God at work. Paul says his inner nature is renewed every day even as his mortal body becomes weaker, and as he feels more fragile, he knows his future: an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure.
How often do we think of this benefit of being children of God? How often do we think of the glory of God that we ourselves will experience being beyond measure? It is a transformative thought we don’t take up very often. Perhaps when someone dies we might think of their earthly body being transformed to something bright and shining like the angels…but hoping for what cannot yet be seen is something modern North Americans probably don’t spend much time on. But it is worth pondering!
Think of the main thrust of this passage:
Every bit of suffering I endure is for you (dear readers/followers), because the more and more people our lives of faith can touch, the more thankfulness will be lifted to God and to God’s glory. I can be sacrificed if it does some good to increase praise and honor to God. So I am willing to do it for others, that God may be glorified. And even though going out of my way chips away at me, it is only making room for far more glory and wonder.
The apostles thought this way! They knew that getting the message out to people and watching the Holy Spirit work in those people to create lives of faith was their way of contributing to the Kingdom of God. Our churches might try thinking this way! Every sacrifice we make to connect with our neighbors who maybe do not have a relationship with God, everything in the way of faith comfort WE give up in order to serve the neighbor, is our contribution to the Kingdom of God. Every time we do something that’s uncomfortable for us but that opens up room for the Holy Spirit to work brings the Kingdom of God closer to us. Shouldn’t we be looking for ways of opening up ourselves more?
Gracious God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for nurturing our faith and for bringing us to this day safely. Help us now extend our lives outward to people who are hurting, right here in our town, so that they may see your goodness and your Kingdom at work. Teach us to be instruments of your Kingdom. Amen.
