Morning Munch - Sept. 25

Intro

Yesterday we talked a little about the landscape of our lives changing and what that looks like, especially when we have no control over things that are affecting our lives. It’s understandable when we can see that we are walking through the consequences of our own decisions.

Losing a job due to not following proper procedures at work

Losing a license due to intoxicated driving

Not being able to pay the bills due to bad money management

These are are understandable, because we can recognize that we made bad choices, and hopefully are learning from them.

But what about circumstances that are out of our control? We talked yesterday a bit about and the declaration from the beginning that God is our refuge. Today, I would like to walk that out in a practical manner and discuss where this faith comes from. I want to look at a passage that Paul writes about in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians.

II Cor. 4:

2 Corinthians 4:7–10 ESV

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

II Cor. 4:7-10

2 Corinthians 4:7–15 ESV

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

This treasure is obviously the Spirit of Jesus in our lives. We being frail and human, have the opportunity to show those around us something extraordinary as we reflect God’s grace in our lives, while we go through unexpected trials. As noted before, when we identify with Christ there is a target that is placed on our back, so we are going to go through things. Expect it!

This passage shows that we should expect trouble, and we may even be confused about where it is coming from, but as verse 8 says “perplexed, but not driven to despair”. Why is that? Because of who is in us. As we go through trouble, and we trust in His sovereignty, Jesus begins to manifest Himself in us. Don’t get me wrong, there will be a spiritual battle vying for our attention, so we need to be ready.

How is this done? By spending time in God’s presence. God has made Himself known to us through Scripture. If we are spending time with Him daily, we will get to know Him better and see how trustworthy He is. I have been married for 19 years now and I have grown in my trust of my wife. I married up, and I knew it from the very beginning, and I was extremely insecure when we first got married. But after 19 years, I have grown to trust in her love for me, & have learned to be secure in that love, knowing she will never leave me. The same is true in our relationship with God, the more we spend in His presence, the more we learn to trust Him in every situation, even when we are confused.

Jesus ultimately is our model in this. Listen to how Peter describes Jesus heading to the cross.

I Pet.

1 Peter 1:21–23 ESV

21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

Jesus knew His Father well enough to know He is trustworthy, Jesus invites us to know The Father just as well. Spend time in Scripture so that when the troubles come, it is an automatic response to trust in God’s sovereignty. We can only trust Him if we are spending time with Him.