April 4, 2012 (Judges 19-21; 2 Corinthians 4)
From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:
Scripture: “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” 2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT
Observation: It would have been easy for Paul to give up and quit if he focused on his problems. But Paul recognized the benefits of this life’s troubles. He said they’ll not last long and besides that they actually produce for us glory that last forever! He was encouraging the Corinthians to hold on to Christ whatever happens. Don’t just focus on the troubles of today but look beyond to a place that will be trouble free. God has great purpose in our suffering and when we are faithful it brings Him great glory.
Application: It’s easy to lose heart and give up under intense pressure. We get so focused on the storms in our life we fail to see any logical way of escape. Sometimes events in our lives appear to be so overwhelming and strong we can see only defeat, even before the battle has been fought. Yet God uses these moments to bring us to Him. When we realize that victory can only come through a mighty moving of God’s hand, we are forced to surrender ourselves completely and trust in Him alone to deliver us. All of our hope, all of our strength, all of our wisdom, all of our victories come from Him, and our troubles help us remember this.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me daily. God I praise You for the storms in my life, for without them I wouldn’t know You like I do. My trust and my hope are in You alone. I need You to move on my behalf, rise up and scatter my enemies from me. May they be captured by their own trap and suffer disgrace for wrongdoing. Father, I pray for Your will to be done no matter what, help me accept Your will and be content with it, in Jesus name, Amen!