Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.
Take a couple of minutes and think about eternity. It is truly an overwhelming concept. It does not stop. There is no end to eternity. As humans, everything we know has an end. Eventually everything dies on this earth. But eternity lasts forever. The bodies God has given us here on earth are not built for eternity, but our souls are. Our decision for Jesus Christ is an eternal one. We will live for the rest of eternity either in the presence of God in a painless perfect place, or we will be separated from Him in torment. Those are the only two options.
Paul speaks on this in 2 Corinthians 4. In verse 16 he says “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”
Paul knew the Christian life would not be one without difficulty. He encourages us not to lose heart. God can renew us on the inside every day as our earthly bodies fail and weaken. He’s preparing us for eternal glory beyond comparison! The greatest possible idea of heaven we can create in our mind is absolutely pitiful compared to what God has prepared for us. He continues in verse 18 by saying, “As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” Paul knew there was nothing on this earth that could truly hurt us. We shouldn’t look to and worry about the things of this world, but we should have our minds on what is unseen and eternal. Knowing my eternity is set with my Savior gives me incredible peace. Despite what this world brings each day, I know that ultimately, His good and perfect will wins, and the brief negativity of this world will not last!
Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.
Reflection:
- Spend intentional time in prayer thanking God for preparing a perfect place for you for eternity and ask Him to help you stay focused on the unseen so that the difficulties of this world will be seen for what they are - already defeated.
Family Devo: 2 Corinthians 4
By: Dahlia Landers
When partnering with your family to know, love, and follow Jesus, we strive to create and share content filtered by the Head-Heart-Hands model.
Head: the knowledge of God and His Word | Heart: the personal connection from scripture | Hands: a missional mindset
Head
In this chapter, we are reminded that it is because of God's mercy that Paul and Timothy have their job telling others about Jesus. They do not lose heart and get discouraged, but instead, they focus on what is true. They refuse to lie or change the Word of God. They tell us that people who do not follow Jesus don't see the truth of the Gospel. Every believer is responsible for sharing the gospel. This gives each of us a ministry, a job. Can you think of a time when you let your light shine for someone else to see?
What do you think Paul means when he says that treasure is stored in jars of clay? Timothy and Paul experience many hard things, but God protected them. Paul wants us to see that it is not because of his own power that he shared the Gospel and brought people to Jesus. Instead, he wants us to know that it is through Jesus Christ that people are changed.
It's only through the Holy Spirit that Paul and Timothy spoke the truth that God raised Jesus from the dead and will also do that for those who have decided to follow Jesus. Think of ways that your family can tell others the Good News of Jesus.
Paul and Timothy did not give up. Although they were facing troubles, they did everything they could to tell others about Jesus and were achieving a treasure that would last forever! When you feel like giving up on doing something for God or telling others about Jesus, remember that God has given His children amazing power! He helps us do really hard things!
Prayer: Lord, thank You for blessing the ministry of Paul and Timothy. Thank You for the words that are written in this chapter. Give us a spirit of faith to share with all those we meet. Thank You for taking Jesus to heaven. Help us to keep our eyes fixed on Your Word. Help us to not lose heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.