For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4: 6-10, NIV.
Merciful God, please bless us as we seek to serve You better. Give us a glimpse of what Your plans are for our lives, and then give us the grace to seek to have these plans fulfilled in our lives. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
What an outstanding passage of Scripture! Besides the beautiful way in which it is expressed, the message it contains is so encouraging. What I perceive at a glance, is that living the Christian life is not about me – it is all about God! It is a message that comes down to us from creation – even before there was a Christian, or a Jew, there was God! Therefore, all created beings, have been commissioned to bring Him glory! Let us unpack this precious gem and see what great things the Lord has in store for us today!
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness[.]” “In the beginning God . . .” There really is no beginning without God. I believe if we would take time to ponder this great truth, we would, like the celestial beings, never cease to cry ” ‘ “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4: 11)! He willed that we should exist; then He employed His power to create us! I do not know what that means to you, but this is what it says to me: God chose me, even before I existed! He decided to create this vessel of clay, so that I could enjoy fellowship with Him, and at the same time, bring Him glory! “He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen” (1 Timothy 6: 15b, 16) willed me into being! Hallelujah!
Dearest friends, you who have come to know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord; you who are just becoming acquainted with Him; you who are still afar off; do not allow anyone, not even your procreators, to refer to you as an accident. You are here because, God willed you into existence, and created you by His power. Now it is your privilege to live for His glory! Praise the Lord!
“[M]ade his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” The One who created physical light through the spoken Word, became the Living Word, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (John 1: 9), to show us the glory of the Father! I am speechless! The Father cared enough about you and me, to want us to see His heart – to know Him as He really was – so, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (14)!
Dearly beloved, because of God’s great love for you and me, He has given us His all in the person of His Wonderful Son who died that we might live! By His grace, let us live to bring Him glory! The truth being told – it is not about the clay, but the Creator!
We will continue with this topic!
NOTE: To our darling daughter Julie Duncan-Archibold, Happy Birthday and God’s most abundant blessings, from all of us! We love you so much! You have brought us so much joy! We are very, very, proud of you! May God give you an eternity of birthdays, and may you spend them all to His glory!