Triumphant Victorious Reminders: January 7, 2009, "Pressed? Perplexed?"
"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding. He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]."
Please if you can...shout, proclaim and declare out loud this devotional today...I know it will cause great encouragement as it did for me and continues to at this very moment. Please read this with great emphasis!
"Pressed on every side; yet not crushed! Perplexed but not in despair! Persecuted but not forsaken! Struck down but not destroyed" (II Corinthians 4:8&9)!
Now this is truly perspective as Paul truly trusted God. Paul had tribulation like many of us could not imagine. Shipwrecked. Beaten with brutal whips, while in chains; multiple times. Resistance going into a new country to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He gave up the comforts of this world in obedience to God. He was hated; yet he was passionate for Jesus. His passion and love for Christ was a reciprocation of what he received from Almighty God. It was in this, the powerful forgiveness of God. This forgiveness that touched his life was the driving force in which he was truly able to love people with the love of Almighty God. He would make mention that it was not by his excellence; but the excellence of God that was made manifest in, on and through his life.
Paul was a leader in every sense. He looked past his own trials. He didn't ignore them, and he even mentioned them, however HE with great fervency, passion and emphasis knew that through it all, GOD was, is and always would be greater than all of his trials put together. Now that is faith in God, in ways I still cannot imagine.
In the midst of hard-pressed circumstances; even unto death, perplexed and persecuted for Jesus' Name, may we rise up with great fervency and passion finally believing Who we 'say' we believe.
"We possess this amazing treasure when we have accepted Jesus Christ as our LORD and Savior. This glorious, indescribable, immeasurable Light of the Good News in this frail, human body, that the excellent and exceeding greatness of the power be shown from God and not from ourselves. Church of Corinth, I must tell you we are not only pressed, but we are hard-pressed on every side, yet I am reminded that we are still not crushed! We are perplexed, full of doubt and uncertainty yet we are not in despair! We are persecuted for preaching Jesus Christ, but we know that we are not and NEVER will be forsaken, no matter what happens to us! We are struck down but remember we are never destroyed! They can destroy this physical, frail, decaying body, but they cannot destroy our spirit. I know that as we go through these awful trials the life of Jesus is being made manifest in our mortal, fleshly bodies. And since we have the same spirit of faith, ACCORDING to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that HE who raised up the Lord Jesus from death will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may have a purpose! The purpose and the cause is for thanksgiving to abound to the GLORY OF GOD! Now because of this, Listen up! DO NOT LOSE HEART! DON'T BLAME GOD! Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man, our spirit, is being renewed day by day! Hallelujah! These I call light afflictions, which is but for a moment, in comparison to eternity! Remember, be reminded, remind yourselves that the things which are seen are only temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal!"
I am stirred up on the inside with this 'Triumphant Victorious Reminder'...I pray this stirring on the inside of you as well, this faith that Paul had in his God, I want as well!
Be blessed beyond measure, for we get to serve Almighty God, WHO cannot be measured!
Thanks for the post - we all need encouraging words to go on. I am blessed, I feel bless to have you as my friend and I so look forward to reading your post. I may not always leave a comment, but i'm always here.
I'm going to ask you for some prayers if you don't mind me asking for them. I found out this morning that my Mother had a slight heartattack and needs a triple bypass tomorrow. I'm going to be posting to my blog about her.
Sherri, sorry to hear that! Mark and I will pray for her, and for all of you.
Teresa, this really lifted me up today! Woo hoo! God started this morning whispering tenderly with words of love and encouragement, and by time I read this I was ready to take off into space!
Sherri! We will be praying for your Mom! I pray in the Name of Jesus for His Healing To manifest upon her body at this very moment in Jesus name. As she is going through this, we pray and know that God's perfect peace is overwhelming her and your family in the Name of Jesus! I also pray for God's angels that are on assignment and thank Him that they keep her in all her ways. In The Mighty, Majestic and Holy Name of Jesus! Amen! We love you Sherri.
Debby, Woo hoo! is right..LOL! I am so erggggggg with great encouragement! Wow! To see what Paul went through as he allowed God to be made manifest in His life..still encourages us today, in 2010! Haahaahaa! I just love you Debby..you are such a blessing to so many amazing women! Wow! I'm blessed beyond measure to get to know you!! Heeheehee..it makes me all 'giddy'!!!
Yes , Don't get discouraged because of trials , we serve a GOD who can raise even from the dead. Thank you.
Tears. Exactly how I feel--pressed and persecuted. Thanks for your wonderful reminder into His truth!