17th June 2025

Reliance on The Lord

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,

that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

   2 Corinthians 4:7

Today's Bible Reading:  2 Corinthians 4:7–18.

The apostle, Paul, was a man that relied on God. In many parts of the world, Christians suffer persecution. We may not all experience imprisonment or torture, but our culture does not always have much respect for what we believe. We may be ignored, mocked and rejected—even by our loved ones. That is why we need the same resilience on the Lord that Paul did.

Paul was qualified to talk about struggle and hardship. He endured many things; blindness, slander, beatings, stoning, shipwreck, imprisonment, and ultimately execution for the sake of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9), Paul uses four pairs of ideas, each linked by the phrase “but not”—to express both the difficulty we may experience when we choose to follow Christ but also the hope of our faith. “Hard pressed . . . but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” Even though we may experience difficulty or persecution, nothing can touch the eternal hope we have in Christ. Is your reliance on the Lord?

Prayer: My Heavenly Father, You know the challenges I face when it comes to living out my faith openly. Help me to keep my heart set on Your Son, Jesus, so that even when I face hardships or persecution, people will see You living in me. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.