18 day plan

Stormy Waters

Day 5 of 18

NIV

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Reflection:  Extraordinary things happen when you are at your weakest. God seems to step in at that point. I was tottering along in a hospital corridor trailing a stand that was feeding a drip in my arm—and found myself talking to a lovely lesbian lady who had huge problems with God and the church. She cried when she heard about the love God has for her.

There’s a lot about cancer that isn’t nice. It is a world of needles, chemo, waiting rooms, fatigue, giddiness, loss of feeling, and the mental fog of “chemo brain.” You do feel “struck down”. But God’s strength is shown in our weakness. That’s not pious talk; it has been a reality for me. Ridiculous things have happened. I wrote a novel in 47 days, 8 of those were when I was in hospital! So, I know what it is to be carried by God. It’s as if God says in those times: “Nick, you are finally helpless and have to rely entirely on me. Now watch this…”

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, You have promised to be with me always—even when I am at my weakest. I love watching what you do when I am too feeble to do anything.

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

1Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

13It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.