Never Give Up

Meditations on Second Corinthians

April 25, 2023

Never Give Up

But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.

2 Corinthians 4:13

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

Paul quotes the beautiful Psalm 116 in affirming his motivation to serve God. It is so simple, “I believed in God, so I spoke” (2 Corinthians 4:13, Psalm 116:10).

Paul believed God was working all things together for good. Paul believed God was working in him to give him both the desire and the ability to fulfill God’s will for his life. Paul believed “by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NRSV).

Paul believed that “when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands” (5:1).

Like Paul, I believe God. I believe He wants to use me to invite people into the eternal relationship with Him that is made possible because Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised from the dead on the third day. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Like Paul, I want to live by trusting that God is at work in me, and in the world, to establish His everlasting Kingdom. I want to live as a Christian by fixing my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith. (Hebrews 12:2)

My Takeaway: Paul never lost sight of His goal and I never, ever, want to lose sight of God’s purpose in me. If I keep my eyes on Jesus, I will stay true to the course God has set for me.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.