Never at the end of my HOPE

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 4:6-9 (MSG) It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful. (7) If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us. (8) As it is, there's not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we're not much to look at. We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, (9) but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken.

2 Corinthians 4:6-9 For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). (7) However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves. (8) We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair; (9) We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed;

Observation:

The supremely valuable message of salvation in Jesus Christ has been entrusted by God to frail and fallible human beings. Paul's focus, however, was not on the perishable container but on its priceless contents—God's power dwelling in us. Though we are "fragile, clay jars," God uses us to spread his Good News, and he gives us power to do his work. Knowing that the power is his, not ours, should keep us from pride and motivate us to keep daily contact with God, our power source. Our responsibility is to let people see God through us, even during difficult times and seasons.

Paul reminds us that though we may think we are at the end of our rope, we are never at the end of our hope. Our perishable bodies are subject to sin and suffering, but God never abandons us. Because Christ has won the victory over death, we have eternal life. All our risks, humiliations, and trials are opportunities for Christ to demonstrate his power and presence in and through us. We must ask ourselves, "Could I handle the suffering and opposition that Paul did?" The success syndrome is a great enemy of effective ministry. From an earthly perspective, Paul was not very successful. Like Paul, we must carry out our ministry, looking to God for strength. When opposition, slander, or disappointment threaten to rob you of the victory, remember that no one can destroy what God has accomplished through you.

Application:

Paul was encouraged because life had not thrown more at him than he could handle. When we read 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 we are likely to catch only the bad things that had happened to him and to notice the words "hard pressed," "perplexed," "persecuted," "struck down," and "always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus" (2 Cor 4:10). If Paul had told us all the bad things that had happened to him as a servant of the Lord, we would have felt that he would be justified in being bitter, leaving the ministry, or having a nervous breakdown. But we need to go back and pick up the other end of the sentence where he talked of being "not crushed… not in despair… not forsaken not destroyed," and of the "life of Jesus" being manifest in his body. If we read carefully what he has written, we hear the note of celebration that even though life had knocked him down, it had not knocked him out; he was still functioning.

As God's people, we are a lot tougher than we sometimes think, and it's encouraging for us to realize that we can cope with a great deal with the strength that Christ gives. During my years as a pastor I have seen Christians deal realistically and triumphantly with calamity, sorrow, tragedy, illness, death, and losses of every sort. I've stood by them during times of almost unbelievable stress with the assurance they would not be abandoned by Christ. And with time and patience and encouragement from Christian friends, I've seen them bounce back with renewed faith and confidence.

This is what the Holy Spirit, through Paul, wants us to know. You may be at the end of your rope, wondering how am I going to make it through this difficult time. Pause and remember how God has previously brought you through tough happenings in your life. He has not, nor will not, change. He is truly the God who will never change. Jesus is the SAME yesterday, today, and forever. He never brings you TO something that He will not bring you THROUGH. So, you may be at the end of your rope, but you will never, ever be at the end of your HOPE as a child of God.

Prayer:

"Lord, I am so thankful that you never leave me nor forsake me. I am thankful for your presence in my life. Even when I go through situations that I don't understand, it doesn't change the fact that you have a purpose and plan in place. You never bring me to something that you will not bring me through. I am so thankful that even though I feel like I am at the end of my rope, I will never be at the end of my hope. Because you are my hope! I love you Jesus, and thank you for this reminder from Your Word today. In Jesus name, amen!"

Blessings!

Pastor Rusty