“Life is full of light and shadow
O the joy and O the sorrow
O the sorrow
And yet will He bring
Dark to light
And yet will He bring
Day from night”
-David
Crowder Band, “Shadows”
Victory comes in our praises. I’ve heard
that for years and have believed it off and on for years and now I know it’s
true. What can be annoying about praising God is that sometimes, while we are
joyously singing His praises, we may not feel like doing it. It’s like a
husband and wife learning the art of intimacy—we have to learn to worship God
because it is a part of our relationship with Him. And just like intimacy can
take work and effort, so, sometimes, praising our faithful Father takes work
and effort.
I cannot explain to you how much I would
feel like cow poop—just a few years ago—lifting up my hands to God and singing
about how glorious He was when I would much prefer to go play in traffic. Yes,
I know that’s horrible, but it’s true. At the same time I remember thatr after
a while I would completely forget about the highway and all of my problems
because I was caught up in how truly glorious and faithful my Father is! It’s
amazing how the victory is truly won when we let God know that even though it
seems, feels, looks like, and may be the worst day of our entire lives thus
far, we trust Him to work it out for our good and bring us through alive and
well.
And guess what? Sometimes when we’ve
worship, cried, and leaped in the air out of pure ecstasy, things may very well
seem, look, and feel like they did before we gave everything to our Father.
HOWEVER, the key is to keep trusting Him and continue speaking out of faith,
not out of emotion. Because, my dear friends, what we see is temporal, but what
we do not see is eternal... (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Context:
2 Corinthians 3:7-5:8
Glory of the New Covenant
7 But if the ministry of death, written and
engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look
steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which
glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more
glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of
righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious
had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what
is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.
12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we
use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so
that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was
passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil
remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken
away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on
their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken
away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
The Light of Christ’s Gospel
4 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received
mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of
shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but
by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in
the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who
are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not
believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image
of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ
Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is
the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our
hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ.
Cast Down but
Unconquered
7 But we have this treasure in earthen
vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are
hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in
despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10
always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of
Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always
delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be
manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in
you.
13 And since we have the same spirit of
faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,”[a] we
also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord
Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For
all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may
cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
Seeing the Invisible
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even
though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by
day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us
a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things
which are not seen are eternal.
Assurance of the Resurrection
5 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is
destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our
habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not
be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not
because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be
swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God,
who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always confident, knowing that
while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by
faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent
from the body and to be present with the Lord.1
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