Hard Pressed on Every Side

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed,

but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned;

struck down, but not destroyed.

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,

so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NIV)

Have you ever woken up in the morning and before you even roll out of bed felt like your day was already a wreck? Like you’ve already been defeated even before you’ve put your feet on the floor? Have you ever been in a relationship and no matter how much you want things to work out, just a thought of the person or the situation that you are in gives you a heavy sense of defeat, one that keeps you from ever trying to approach that person ever again? Have you been out of work for such a long time, been through so many interviews and faced so many rejections that just the thought of sending out one more resume’ crushes your spirit?

My friend, today Father woke you up one more time for you to know that you are not defeated, that you are not ultimately a failure. That doesn’t mean that you’ve never lost, or that you’ve never failed, but it does mean that it’s not over and that today is a new day, a day for you to, in the midst of your circumstances realize that reality goes beyond what you can see and that as you begin to look at things from His perspective that it puts a new light on everything that you’re going through.

Scripture is a great example of seeing things from God’s perspective. We have the privilege of reading things after the fact, when in reality that is how God saw them all the time. God is not confined to time and space so everything is here and now in His eyes. Abraham could have felt defeated as he raised the knife, but God saw the ram. Job could have felt defeated as he scraped the boils off, but God saw the double portion of blessing in chapter 42. Mary could have felt defeated and crushed at the foot of the cross but God was already at the resurrection. Daniel could have felt defeated as the lions approached, but God was already telling the lions that a better meal was coming a bit later.

Whatever your present circumstances, my friend, whatever situation you find yourself in, the Holy Spirit wants to remind you as He did as He opened eyes of Elisha’s servant in 2 Kings 6:16-18, to remember that "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

Let’s praise Him together today and thank Him that He has already won for us and if God is for us, who or what can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

Seeing from God’s Perspective

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed,

but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down,

 but not destroyed. We always carry around in our

body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also

revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NIV)

Have you ever woken up in the morning and before you even roll out of bed felt like your day was already a wreck? Like you’ve already been defeated even before you’ve put your feet on the floor? Have you ever been in a relationship and no matter how much you want things to work out, just a thought of the person or the situation that you are in gives you a heavy sense of defeat, one that keeps you from ever trying to approach that person ever again? Have you been out of work for such a long time, been through so many interviews and faced so many rejections that just the thought of sending out one more resume’ crushes your spirit?

My friend, today Father woke you up one more time for you to know that you are not defeated, that you are not ultimately a failure. That doesn’t mean that you’ve never lost, or that you’ve never failed, but it does mean that it’s not over and that today is a new day, a day for you to, in the midst of your circumstances realize that reality goes beyond what you can see and that as you begin to look at things from His perspective that it puts a new light on everything that you’re going through.

Scripture is a great example of seeing things from God’s perspective. We have the privilege of reading things after the fact, when in reality that is how God saw them all the time. God is not confined to time and space so everything is here and now in His eyes. Abraham could have felt defeated as he raised the knife, but God saw the ram. Job could have felt defeated as he scraped the boils off, but God saw the double portion of blessing in chapter 42. Mary could have felt defeated and crushed at the foot of the cross but God was already at the resurrection. Daniel could have felt defeated as the lions approached, but God was already telling the lions that a better meal was coming a bit later.

Whatever your present circumstances, my friend, whatever situation you find yourself in, the Holy Spirit wants to remind you as He did as He opened eyes of Elisha’s servant in 2 Kings 6:16-18, to remember that "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

Let’s praise Him together today and thank Him that He has already won for us and if God is for us, who or what can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

Unity is Essential

Unity is essential for any long-lasting success in all venues of life. And it is viewed in Scripture without option. As our Lord said, in Luke 11:17, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.”


However, I believe that we have adopted, in much of the American church, a philosophy of the world that says, “unity at any cost”. When unity becomes our goal, compromise is on the horizon. This is because when we purpose to be united in and of ourselves, we often must lay aside who we are, our hopes and dreams, and sometimes our convictions, because those to whom we wish to be united with may have a different set of their own.

Our view of becoming united must begin, not with unity, but with Jesus. We must all purpose in our hearts to have Jesus Christ and the knowledge of and obedience to Him as our foundation. When this happens, He can take a group of people, totally different, with differing viewpoints, likes and dislikes, similar and opposite tastes, and make them unified, becoming one. This can only happen through Jesus.

Just look through Scripture. Was everyone that worked together in the Bible united on the “hows”? No, but the beauty of it is that when they were committed to the WHO, Jesus Christ, the result was always unity. Not sameness, but unity.

Look how the Word describes it. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves” (but it doesn’t stop there-the key to unity comes)….”as you follow Christ Jesus”, (and still the goal is not unity in and of itself. It is…) “so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (And what does true unity look like”) “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15:5-7 additions mine).

Unity

“In a mighty auditorium are four men. They really desire to come together, but neither will come to another’s corner. In the center of the room is a beautiful fountain. Finally someone proposes that they all meet at the fountain. They start for the common center. They come on – forty – fifty – one hundred feet. The nearer they come to the fountain, the nearer they come to each other, each making concessions of location and space. At last they reach their destination, and clasp hands around the sparkling waters of the fountain. Jesus Christ, the great fountain of life, liberty and love is set up in the center of the world. The nearer God’s children come to Christ, the nearer they will come to each other. Let us help hasten the day when we can all clasp hands and sing, “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.” Let the Christian world strike hands in the spirit of those of old who said, “We are brethren” “– Hall

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
(John 17:20-21 NIV)