Today we continue our new series entitled, “Press through it!”
A few days ago I introduced you to the following passage. Let’s go back to it today.
“We have this treasure from God, but we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This is to show that the amazing power we have is from God, not from us. We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don’t know what to do, but we don’t give up. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed. So we constantly experience the death of Jesus in our own bodies, but this is so that the life of Jesus can also be seen in our bodies. We are alive, but for Jesus we are always in danger of death, so that the life of Jesus can be seen in our bodies that die.”
??(2 Corinthians? ?4:7-11? ?ERV??)
Today I want highlight the following statement again: “We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don’t know what to do, but we don’t give up.” The King James Version translates this portion as: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair.”
Let’s look at the following definitions:
Perplexed: the state of being baffled, confused, confounded; filled with uncertainty.
Despair: an utter loss of hope; to lose all confidence.
Distressed: afflicted with great pain or torture; harassed; worn out; exhausted.
The Apostle Paul tells us that even when we have trouble on every side, we never allow ourselves to fall into any of these states. As I have talked to people lately about their walk with Christ, the word “overwhelmed” keeps coming up. I want to discuss this word today, within the light of this passage.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Paul teaches us that even when we have trouble on every side, as believers, we are never distressed. We face stressful situations, but we don’t have to allow ourselves to get stressed-out. Why? Because we are not facing the situations alone. God has put His treasure [His Spirit] on the inside of us. Since He is IN us, WITH us and FOR us, even when we are facing a stressful situation, we have the grace to PRESS THROUGH the stress and overcome the challenge.
2. The Bible says, “We are perplexed, but not in despair.” To be perplexed means that we are baffled or confused. There are times when we don’t know what to do. The be in despair means that are have lost all hope or confidence. This is never the case for us. Even when we don’t know what to do, we are still hopeful and confident, because our hope and confidence is in God, and NOT in us. When your hope and confidence is in God, even when you don’t know what to do, and even when you don’t know how it is going to turn out, you trust God enough to know that His plans and purposes will prevail. There are many times when I don’t know what God is up to, but I have peace, because I know it is going to be good. When it is all said and done, God’s plans will prove out to be better than anything I could have come up with on my own. So I don’t have anything to fear. I have no need to worry.
3. Your trust in God should keep you from getting stressed-out and it should certainly keep you from feeling hopeless. You are never hopeless because you are never helpless.
4. Never allow yourself to embrace any thoughts of feeling overwhelmed. When you are overwhelmed you feel overcome and overpowered. You should never feel overcome, because as a child of God you are an overcomer! You have the power to come-over everything that stands in your way. You should never feel overpowered, because God lives IN you and He has all power. God can never be overpowered. God can never be overcome. God can never be overtaken. God can never be outnumbered. And guess what? God lives INSIDE of you! There is nothing you can’t do. There is no challenge you can’t overcome, no fight you can’t win, no opposition you can defeat. You are a child of the Most-High God. You are covered by the Blood of Jesus. You are filled with the Holy Spirit. You are called according to God’s plans purposes for your life. There is nothing you can’t do, because greater is HE who is in you, than he who is in the world!
5. If you feel overwhelmed, overtaken, overloaded, outnumbered, stressed-out, exhausted or hopeless, please take a few minutes to meditate and medicate on God’s presence on the inside of you. Without God you can’t. But with God you CAN do all things! You’ve got this! Enter into this day believing that God has already given you the grace to overcome. Don’t ask God FOR the victory. He already gave it to you. Enter this day FROM A POSITION of victory! It will change your perspective and it will change your experience!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, You placed Your treasure in an earthen vessel when You placed Your Spirit inside of me. I am in You and You are in me. There is nothing You can’t do. So there is nothing I can’t do. Without You I can’t. But with You I can do all things. Living with this perspective I never allow myself to feel overwhelmed. I am never overtaken, overloaded, outnumbered, stressed-out, exhausted or hopeless, because You are IN me and You already have the victory. I don’t enter this day asking You FOR the Victory. I enter this day FROM a POSITION of VICTORY! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
