2 Corinthians 4:7-9 “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.”
This is such a great passage of scripture. Many times we focus on on the negative that is taking place in our lives. We can become overwhelmed by the pressures of life and the problems we face. While Paul mentions those things in our New Testament passage today, he also emphasizes what we are not. Let’s take a closer look…
“We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed…” You and I may be surrounded by pressure, but we are not crushed. It can only press in so much and then it has to stop. God prevents us from being crushed.
“We are perplexed, but not in despair…” Perplexity brings with it uncertainty. We are not sure of the way out. We are in a quandary about what to do…but not to the point of despair. There is a hope and a faith that we hold on to that brings a peace in knowing God will make a way where there seems to be no way.
“We are persecuted, but not forsaken…” There are those who oppose us, but we are not deserted and left alone. We have the promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We also have the promise that the Holy Spirit will be with us to guide us and aid us. We are not alone!
“We are struck down, but not destroyed…” We may have been knocked over or knocked down, but we have not been knocked out.
These all carry an air of supernatural help and assistance. We take in a deep breath after reading each one and with each breath, a greater sense of knowing we will make it too.
This is all possible because of Paul’s opening statement in verse 9: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” This is critical in maintaining our stance in the midst of difficulty. It is infinitely more important what is taking place inside of you than outside of you. If the inside is strong, you can be sustained through the severest of trials. There is a treasure inside of you. Tap into it today so you can stay focused on what you are not:
My car needs to be fixed, but I’m not without a ride…
I need to get the doctor to check this, but I’m not in the hospital…
I wish my kids would straighten up, but they’re not in jail…
I need some finances to take care of this bill, but I have a job and I’m not broke …