Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

April 2, 2018

by Pastor Hawtree

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:

TO MANIFEST HIS LIFE IN US

II CORINTHIANS 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

Let me explain:

*          “DISTRESSED” means totally overwhelmed.

*          “DESPAIR” means having no hope.

*          “FORSAKEN” means abandoned.

*          “DESTROYED” means destroyed, LOL, Or of no more use.

None of those are very encouraging words, but it is encouraging that none of these words will take place in our lives. God has promised that. God never promised that we would never have trouble, but He promised that the trouble does not have to overwhelm us. God never promised that we would never be down or discouraged, but He promised that we would never have to get to the point that we would have no hope. God never promised that we would never face persecution, but He promised that if we do, He would never leave us or forsake us. God never promised that we would never be faced with sickness, brokenness, disease, or physical suffering. But God promised that if we do, it could never destroy us. And He promised to never put on us more than we could bear. And God promised that there may be some things that could destroy the body, but our spirit and soul could never be destroyed.

You see, as we face some of these things, we must remember the death and suffering of Jesus Christ. We must remember what He went through. We must remember how He faced it. We must remember how He was crucified and died. We must always “bear about the dying of the Lord Jesus”. But we must remember how Jesus rose again and defeated death. When we remember His suffering and death, we remember how He defeated it and not only had new life, but that He has given us new life. The more that you and I face the difficulties of life, and we continue to trust Christ based on His victory over death, we are able to “manifest” Christ in our life.

When people see that we have hope in the midst of suffering, that shows them Christ in our life. When people see us face troubles without being distressed, they see Christ. when people see us face perplexing situations without ever losing hope, they see Christ. When others see us face persecution, but always hear us speak of the never ending presence of Christ in our life, they see Christ. When people see us face things that would break others, and yet they see us still trusting God and claiming victory through Him, they see Christ.

Dear friend, I am persuaded today that He is able to manifest His life in our life every day. May we always remember what Jesus faced, what battles Jesus fought, and what Jesus overcame to remind us each day that He can do the same in our life.