Look Beyond Where You Are
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. II Corinthians 4:8-9 (New International Version, NIV)
Hard Pressed
You might feel that things are so tight, like you’re in a vice being squeezed. However, God says that what you are in will not crush you because God sustains us with strength to go through.
Perplexed
You may be perplexed, but don’t despair. When you don’t know what to do, look to the One who knows; the One who has all knowledge. He’s been through what you’re going through. There is always hope; that positive, confident expectation of a turnaround. God gives hope to keep us going until we obtain His promises. God’s power is working in our lives.
Persecuted
While you may be experiencing persecution, you are not abandoned by God. No matter what comes against you, attempting to make your life difficult, God is right there to help and to give you the strength to overcome.
Struck Down
You may be struck and knocked down by financial loss, sickness, bad relationships, mental anguish, uncomfortable circumstances, or simply one attack after another that left you flat on your back. Always remember that Jesus went to the lowest hell but wasn’t destroyed. God raised Him back up, and you’ve been raised up with Christ. So, no matter what struck you down, you won’t stay down. God’s resurrection power will lift you up, bring you out, and set your feet on a solid rock. You’ll have a new song to sing to praise your God for all He is and all He’s done. Remember that what you are dealing with will pass. It won’t last. All problems have an expiration date when we keep a good attitude.
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken. ”Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. II Corinthians 4:13-17 (New International Version, NIV)
We have the Spirit of faith. Declare your victory before you see it. Declare the end from the beginning. All that we go through works for our glory, for our reward both now and forever. All of this is temporal in the light of eternity. Look beyond where you are. What is seen is temporary, but what is not seen is eternal.
