Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
When Life Feels Difficult
Have you ever had a time in your life where things felt pretty difficult, and you just for a moment had the thought, man, this is really tough, I don't know how I can proceed? If you're human, like I'm human, you've experienced these types of thoughts, these waves of emotions that come and go with our lives as we begin to age, especially dealing with some of the things that come along with aging.
I watched my dad struggle with arthritis for much of my life, and I never thought I'd see the day it hit me—but it has hit me, and I'm like, wow, this is what he was experiencing. Aging is a thing that some of us deal with, and sometimes it's kind of hard to cope. That's precisely where today's Verse of the Day speaks life to us.
It's 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 16. "That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day."
Understanding the Promise
What is the "that" Paul is referencing? That's what we must understand if we can really get the meat of what this verse is communicating to us.
If you point back to verse 14, in chapter 4, verse 14 he says, "This God who raised Jesus will raise us too." Verse 15 says all of this is happening so grace reaches even more people, so they have an opportunity to be raised also, just like Jesus was. When you look at that gift of being raised, being renewed, being refreshed, we have a promise from God. That's why Paul was able to say yes.
He didn't deny the fact that his physical body was struggling and suffering. He didn't deny that even his own struggles with aging, and some of the things he was wrestling with in his physical body from being a hard-fighting soldier out here for God on the battlefield. He didn't deny that he was struggling to cope with some things as well, but he never gave up because of the promise God gave to us all.
This is Why
He was reminding each and every one of us, hey, this is why. This is why we don't give up. This is why we don't give in to those thoughts, those temptations from the enemy, the adversary, to say, why are you even continuing to try and strive for greater? This is why—because of the promise that God made, that He's going to raise each and every one of us faithful followers of Jesus the same way He raised Jesus. That is a tremendous promise.
When things get a little achy and a little painful, or when things get a little tough and we start thinking—when friends challenge you and they ask you, why do I continue to try? Why do you keep going to that church? Why do you keep participating in that small group? Why do you keep going and being a part of service initiatives? This is why. Because God made a promise to me. If I don't give up, and I keep the faith, He's going to raise me up just like He did Jesus. That is a reason to continue striving, pushing, fighting forward even in the midst of those things.
God's Masterpiece
You can see it. Maybe you look in the mirror and sometimes you struggle knowing that you're not the 21-year-old version of yourself anymore. That's okay. Guess what? You are God's masterpiece, created by the Master, right now, fearfully and wonderfully made. You can take heart in the beautiful promise that Paul reminds us of. Don't give up. Never give up, because God promised He's going to raise you up too. What a beautiful day that will be.
