Perplexed, But Not in Despair

2 Cor 4:7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

I would like to encourage you today with the Words written to us above. The highlighted portion is where I feel myself at today...perplexed, but not in despair. I want to encourage you to renew your committment to the Lord Jesus today. Get rid of everything and anything that has found its way between you and Him. That includes your "pastor" "church" "social circle" "denomination" and all the other things holding people back in this world from knowing, and being known by the Lord.

The solution to all our problems is simple...the solution is being found "in Christ." "In Christ" "in him" and all the variations on those two words are THE most powerful and among the most frequently used paired words in the bible..coincidence? We know better than that.

What we need today is more Jesus...period. We need more of his Spirit and his presence. Have you ever felt the presence of the Lord before? Really...have you? If you have then you know, 10 seconds in the presence of this God blows away years worth of any drug you might want to name. He's that great. The experience goes beyond words, because it is beyond words. We who believe need to remember the times when we know that we know that we KNOW we have been standing in the presence of Almighty God on earth.

We need to remember period. Remember all that He has done for you. Give thanks, praise him. He is our answer...for everything. You don't have to know what to do, when to do it, who, what, when, where, how. If you are still breathing today, the game is not over yet, and if its not over yet then we still have time to see one more GREAT answer from our God. Let's ask him, seek, and knock on his door with patience and persistence today. Let us be encouraged to not give up. Let us take the attitudes of soldiers who understand that suffering and hardship are not something extraordinary to us, they are the life of the soldier.

Let's expect answers from our God (Mark 11:24). Today I am perplexed by many things, but the miracle is, I'm not in despair. Our God has seen to that. He has vindicated his Word in the eyes of this servant therefore this servant commends the Word of God to you. He is faithful. If he said he would do something, we must take the attitude of Abraham and expect that He who promised is faithful and will do what He said he will do.

Let us encourage one another today while it is still called today. We hear from every corner "the end is near!" but what if its NOT? and....what if it is? We must be prepared for both. Lets run with endurance the race marked out for us. If we cannot run, then let us walk, if we cannot walk then let us set our faces like flint and DRAG ourselves forward 1 more inch, for one more day. Who knows what answers to prayer will manifest for us tomorrow? Our Lord knows, so let us persist.

Your perplexed brother who is writing to you today is encouraged by you. I am one who is crawling my way forward by an inch or less per day, perplexed, but not in despair. Hold on to what you have for one more day. Seek, ask and knock today so that tomorrow you may receive what you ask for. Believe. Tomorrow you may be the answer to someone else's prayer and they may be the answer to yours. Keep the faith.

grace and peace