GOD’S WORD FOR JULY 5

We are reading from a daily devotional  called “Running To Win” written by Erwin Lutzer  and the late, great D.L. Moody.   Erwin Lutzer is a light in our day as D.L. Moody was in his.  Besides his many ministries, and many books, Pastor Lutzer was Senior Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus there.  He is  Chancelor and a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, where he taught Theology and Ministry, and now has numerous radio teachings.

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TEMPORARY SUFFERING, ETERNAL VICTORY

2 Corinthians 4:18

“for the things that are seen are transient but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

D.L.MOODY

The heir to some great estate, while a child, thinks more of a dollar in his pocket than all his coming inheritance.  Just so, even some professing Christians are more elated by a passing pleasure than they are by their title to eternal glory.

ERWIN LUTZER

A mark of maturity, we are told, is delayed gratification.  Some live for the pleasures of this fleeting world without much thought about their eternal existence, and when suffering comes, they find themselves unable to look beyond it to God.

Satan’s intention is to use our suffering to distract us and make us so miserable and cynical that we no longer trust God.  So, Satan wins TEMPORARY victories in our lives.   I say “temporary” because the  Christian’s future is secure, however the enemy can still win in this life by making us forget about our life to come.  God’s own purpose for suffering is very different.  It is to break us, to humble us, and to develop our relationship with Him.  We should see suffering as a divine gift, coming from God’s hand for God’s purposes.  To put it clearly, suffering is actually God putting His arms around us.

Remember what Paul endured; a thorn in the flesh, people trying to undermine him, he was beaten,  stoned, and left for dead.  Yet despite all of that and much more, he said, “For this “LIGHT” momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”  (2 Corinthians 4:17).

The key to life is not to be absorbed by the things that are seen but rather the things unseen.

PRAYER

Father, please show me Your grace even in my affliction:  help me to focus on eternity and not just time.

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James 1:2-3

    “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

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1 Peter 1:6

    “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.”

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Romans 5:3-4

    “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

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2 Corinthians 4:17

    “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

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Hebrews 12:1

    “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

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Isaiah 41:10

    “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

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