8.29.13

2 Corinthians 4:8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandon by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.



My Thoughts
These are the words of Paul... who suffered so much to spread the word of Jesus. He was loved by God, protected by God, but suffered the effects of the world. But he was never, ever abandon by God.


I must remember these words on a bad day, on a day when the things of the world press in and effect me. I am pressed on every side, but I am not crushed. There was a time in my life when I would feel crushed... unable to deal with all that was going on around me. Now some days can still be hard...but I never ever feel crushed!! I know that God has my back and that He gives me new hours, new days, new weeks!! Life will always get better and probably by tomorrow! Sometimes I am perplexed, I don't understand why...but I know that God has the why so I don't feel despair!! God's word lives in my heart and I draw from it, instead of letting despair feed me! Just the other day I got knocked down for a minute, I had a fender bender. Before I knew God like I know God now, I would have felt knocked down, I would have felt panic and despair. I would not have been able to cope. I would have had to call Robby to come to my rescue. But now I have God, I informed Robby and God gave me His strength and His grace and I handled the situation. The next new hour of my day was a good one. Before God that could have effected me for a month!! Today I still suffer pain from Lupus and Fybromilgia, but Jesus is here with me... He shows His face in my life every day. Loving Jesus through my pain has touched way more people for Jesus than I ever would have without pain. It is not why I am in pain... but it is a wonderful consequence of what I am going through. Jesus is with me always, every day, He makes me able to get up and get out of bed, He makes me able to smile, He gives me strength that I didn't have before. I may suffer pain, but I am victorious in Jesus, I am blessed because of Jesus, I am able because of Jesus. I have great joy in my life because of Jesus. Any pain I suffer does not compare to how happy my heart is! I may feel pain but because of Jesus I am not held captive by pain!! And because of that I know that Jesus will heal me!!
Paul didn't choose an easy life...but he did have a full life because he was filled with the love of God. And the days that were hard were not hopeless. He was pressed on every side but not crushed... perplexed but not driven to despair!! He was knocked down but not destroyed...he was never abandoned by God. He suffered but Jesus shined in that suffering. Paul loved God and God never abandoned Paul. I love this!! It give me strength and hope.