2 Corinthians 3:4-6 (Confidence)

⁴ We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. ⁵ It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. ⁶ He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

Self-esteem.  Self-confidence.  These are two words that get thrown around a lot in our culture.  And for the non-Believer, they are as good as we can get -- feeling good about ourselves because of ourselves and who we are -- but that's a lie.  We are nothing in and of ourselves.  That's where our society has gone wrong, just like many societies before us.  We begin to see ourselves as god-like, having the ability to change ourselves, having value because of how great we are, and being the main instrument for change in the world.  But for the Believer, there is something given to us that is so much deeper, longer-lasting, and of intensely greater worth: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

As the verses above remind us, our confidence comes from God through Christ.  We know that we are not qualified to do anything on our own, but yet God, in His infinite love for these beings He created, gave us a way to be connected to Him, to escape death, to live a purposeful and fulfilling life on this earth by living the exciting way God intends, and to help others do the same.  The God of the Universe gave that ability to us.  It is because of absolutely nothing that we've done for ourselves.  It's all because of Him.

Now, naturally, you'd think that when you really begin to see yourself for who we really are: value-less, sinful, selfish people whose hearts are deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9), you begin to feel pretty low...not confident, not of worth at all, and it doesn't feel very good, so people don't like to go there.  But, my dear friends, we cannot understand what we gain until we know how much we don't have!  As the above verses say, the Law (all those rules) remind us how far we are from perfect...just look at the Ten Commandments, let alone all 613 laws in the OT!  As hard as we try, we will never be perfect or justified by ourselves...


But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.  Jeremiah 10:12

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.  Acts 3:15

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  1 Cor. 12:24-25


But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us...  2 Cor. 7:6

 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.  Hebrews 3:4

They (our parents) disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.  Hebrews 12:10

...Yes, we were nothing. But God...But God chose to teach us, to get involved with us, to save us from our own sin, to teach us how to love best, to give us strength when we are weak, to give us a Church where we can show the world what it looks like to live according to God's design, to die for us.  It is only because of God that we have any worth, any direction, any hope for today and tomorrow.

He is the reason I have confidence...and it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Him.

2 Corinthians 3:1-3 (Written on My Heart)

Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! ² The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. ³ Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

Paul is once again trying to convince his fellow Christians of his authority given by Christ.  False teachers had begun carrying "letters of authority" (many of them forged) to authenticate their authority as teachers of the law.  But Paul is saying that he needs no such letter, because the proof that God was working in and through him and those around him were their very lives -- their CHANGED lives.

Think about the ways both big and small that you have changed since knowing Christ.  No, REALLY think about how you have changed.  What kind of person were you 1 year ago? 5? 10?  We do not become believers and better Christ-follwers by reading some man-written manual on how to become better people.  No human being can take credit for this conversion!  Our conversion is the result of God placing His Spirit within us, which gives us the power to understand His Word (the Bible) and then live in a new way for Him.  How incredible that is!?  Do we really think about this?  It's like we all have that super-power we've always wanted to have.  We have a power in us that is way beyond ourselves -- the power to be less like our human nature and more like the God of the Universe (though we are still incredibly far from being exactly like Him).

I really love this thought that God's letter to us is written on our hearts through the Holy Spirit.  How personal, how intimate.  It could have been that God would scribe some words on large stone tablets and place one in each church -- that would still be pretty intimate if He made one for each church in the world!  But He goes way beyond that and says, No, I want a personal, one-on-one relationship with you.  I want my Word and ways to be in the deepest part of you where no one can touch it but you and I, where the center of your emotions, your longings, your desires, and your decisions reside.  I want to write My Spirit into your heart.

What an incredible gift.  What an incredible love.  What an incredible opportunity I have to listen to this new Spirit inside me and be lead in unimaginable ways today.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (Hobby Lobby and Other Aromas)

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶ To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? ¹⁷ Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

What are some of your favorite smells?  Yes, yes....we all love the smell of baking bread, chocolate chip cookies, and flowers.  But are there some smells that you love that others find interesting?  For instance, I absolutely love the smell of certain stores: Lowes, Blockbuster (which is slowly disappearing), Hobby Lobby, and our public library here in town to name a few.  

This summer, I took the kids I nanny for to the library one day, and as we approached the door, I warned them that they were about to smell one of the greatest smells they had ever smelt.  We walked in and all took a big whiff which left a smile on my face and a confused look on theirs.  I had to explain that it was a mixture between "new building smell, a chlorinated swimming pool, and muffins"...as we continued walking, they started to agree with me.  Who knows what they really think of the smell of the library (or of me for that matter), but the next week, they couldn't wait to go smell the library with me!

Aromas are funny aren't they?  We all have different preferences, and you can begin to like aromas that you didn't like before, but I wonder if it has more to do with association than the actual smell (for instance, associating that the smell reminds you of your incredibly fun and funny nanny...).  Just kidding...well, kind of.

And so we are used by God to spread the aroma of Christ.  It's quite obvious just by looking at the news or Facebook that we, Christians, have a pleasant aroma to some and an aroma of death to others.  You know that smell, right?  The aroma of death....dead animals, dead food in the trash can, dead plants that have stayed in the vase a little too long.  Never is "death" a pleasant smell.  

This is quite a large task He has given us, spreading the aroma of Christ, which some will love and others will hate!  But we are His hands and feet on this earth until He returns, and much of what people think about Christ is reflective upon what they see in us.  And based on what they see in our lives, they may begin to like the aroma of God in a way they have never experienced before.

Now, lest I talk all of us into acting like my natural position of "people pleasing," this doesn't mean that everyone will like us!  Look at verse 17, and see we are to speak of God sincerely, truthfully.  Or as the NLT puts it, "You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us."  And when we speak of God, our relationship with Him, and what Christ did for us, some people will not be happy about it.  That fact is plain as day based on what we read.  We must know that people will not agree or like what we say...perhaps because saying that Jesus is the only way seems "narrow-minded".  They won't like that.  

But others will have their eyes opened by God.  Others will see our lives and our message and suddenly "get it."  The aroma that once smelled like death to them, will begin to smell like life and beauty and peace and love.  You can begin to like aromas that you didn't like before.

So what kind of a smell are you today?  Cookies?  Rotting flowers?  Hobby Lobby?  Not everyone will think you "smell good,"  but don't change the aroma itself to make it smell better as those do "who peddle the Word of God for profit;" instead, remain steadfast, prayerful, and servant-minded.  And let those who will, see Jesus in you.

Whether they come around to "liking" the aroma or not doesn't matter, because the aroma of Christ on this Earth ALWAYS pleases the Lord.

2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11 (The Dirty Church)

²³ Now I call upon God as my witness that I am telling the truth. The reason I didn’t return to Corinth was to spare you from a severe rebuke. ²⁴ But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.

2 So I decided that I would not bring you grief with another painful visit. ² For if I cause you grief, who will make me glad? Certainly not someone I have grieved. ³ That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won’t be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful. ⁴ I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you.

⁵ I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. ⁶ Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. ⁷ Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. ⁸ So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.

⁹ I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. ¹⁰ When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, ¹¹ so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.

Christians are not perfect.  We know it, and the world sure knows it.  The Outsiders expect to enter a church and find a bunch of people who are put together perfectly, prim and proper, and holy.  And sometimes we are.  But more often than not, we too, are a mixed bag of emotions, experiences, relationships, preferences, and personalities -- as different as the spices in our spice racks -- that when used together in the right way, make something delicious, so delicious that the world wants a piece of it.
...but that's on our good days.

The further I get into this book, the more mess I see with the Corinthian church.  Paul, the leader, is showing us a lot about how to lead some unruly folks, who at one time followed Him with great gusto, but seem to be a little distracted right now...hmm, I wonder if these methods work on squirrely fifth-graders, too? 

Feelings have been hurt...guidance has been given...grief and pain abound in this book so far...accusations of falsehood are being tossed around.  Yet, Paul has not given up.  In fact, he continues to be loving and direct.  I love verse 4, "I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you."  What?  Paul has cried about this?  Apparently a lot.

Have you ever cried over something that's happened in your church?  I have.  I grew up in the church where I currently attend, and I absolutely LOVE my church.  But I love it more now than I did as a child because I see the imperfections -- I can look at us as we really are, imperfect people so desperately trying to love and serve our perfect God.  I've been so disheartened by some of our choices one moment, and then so proud of us the next.  I've lost sleep over different situations in my church.  I've had conversations with people that left me so broken and sad.  So, if the church is a mess of people, too, why even go?

Well, here is what I have come to learn about why The Church really is different than the world: because of God's wisdom and guidance for us in the Bible, we are shown how to deal with the hard stuff.  It doesn't mean life is any easier for us or there is any less hard stuff (just yesterday I talked with someone who had just lost a family member, another person who is waiting for a diagnosis today and it doesn't look good, and yet another who is dealing with some major life changes that are over-whelming at times), so no, life is not easier, per say.  But we are given the knowledge and then the opportunity to choose a different perspective, to choose forgiveness, to choose to love.

I absolutely love my church.  I want the best for my church, and I want us to be the best representatives for Jesus Christ that we can be.  And sometimes, that means direct and loving conversations.  No one has ever had one of those with me at work, or in the grocery store line, or at school when I was a student.  But they have come to me from the people in The Church, who also don't want us to stay the way we are -- they want me to be better, too.

So, no, we're not perfect in the Church.  But, I think those of us who really love Jesus and desire to serve Him sure want to be better.  We want to grow.  We want to put ourselves aside and put Jesus and others first.  We want to be united with each other, not torn apart by conflict.  We want to be loving to everyone, not judgmental because of our own prejudices and self-righteousness. We don't do it perfectly, but we really do try with Christ's help.  And when you have a bunch of sinful people with that attitude, it is one of the most beautiful creations I have ever seen.  THAT is The Church.

And here is why we keep going, even in our messy moments, Church: "so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes" (verse 11).  The Evil One knows that we are a powerful unit when we are working together, and he will do whatever he can to divide us, to distract us, to make us focus on the small stuff...and he's been using the same tactics for millennia!  Why does he spend so much time working against The Church?  Because we are the spark that could start the forest fire, so he continually tries to snuff us out in whatever ways he can...usually the really dumb stuff.  So we don't let him -- we continue to work through conflicts, continue to serve others instead of ourselves, continue to look to Christ for wisdom and direction, and continue to work together for the sake of eternity.

...so, I'm not giving up on these Corinthians yet.  Satan is currently using false teachers, lies, and accusation to misdirect them.  But perhaps, hopefully, they are experiencing a season where they will look back one day and be able to admit: I was wrong.  I was immature.  I was selfish.  I know I have 20,000 examples of retrospective moments like that in my life, thanks to the direct and loving conversations others have been willing to have with me.

And so we are being renewed day by day...cleaned and re-cleaned, pruned and primed as we grow closer to Him.  The world knows we're not perfect, but my prayer is that they would also see that though we are dirty, we know The Way to be cleaned.

2 Corinthians 1:17-20 (Yes and No)

¹⁷ You may be asking why I changed my plan. Do you think I make my plans carelessly? Do you think I am like people of the world who say “Yes” when they really mean “No”? ¹⁸ As surely as God is faithful, our word to you does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” ¹⁹ For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. ²⁰ For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

"What, you mean this sweater is marked down an extra 25%?  "Yes!" 
"May I have a grande, nonfat, hazelnut misto?"  "Yes!"
"Josh, are you sure we can afford that anniversary trip to Hawaii?"  "Yes!"

We love to hear "yes," don't we?  (For the record, Josh has not said 'yes' to that last one...yet.)  Just thinking about the word 'yes' makes my eyebrows go up and brings a smile to my face.

Here, Paul continues to explain why he had planned a trip to see the Corinthians but then changed his plan (we learn later that it was for their good).  The false teachers are trying to turn the people against him by accusing Paul of being wishy-washy because of this, so these above verses are Paul's response.

This is not the only time in the Bible where "yes and no" are the subject.  Matthew 5 has these words from Jesus: "And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

Anytime something in the Bible is the focus more than once, I know to pay attention.  Jesus Himself gave us this command!  He must know something about us...and boy does He!  Giving someone our word should be simple, keeping our word should be paramount, and explaining a 'no' is not necessary. Molly, the People Pleaser, continues to learn this a little more every year.  Maybe you need to hear it from someone like I did: IT'S ABSOLUTELY OKAY, AND SOMETIMES BEST, TO SAY NO!  

Example: Just this past weekend, I was the beneficiary of a delicious, homemade cookie from one of our dear friends, Chad.  He was handing them out in the sanctuary, which I thought was a little odd, but absolutely accepted one immediately anyway...of course.  Then, he explained to us that they were given to him by 4-year-old, Leah.  Leah is the daughter of two of our other dear friends, and she absolutely adores Chad.  The reason she adores him is because he lived with Leah and her family for a few months right before he got married after his current lease was up.  Leah and Chad are the sweetest of buddies because of that time together.

Now, here's the lesson I learned, and why I even share this story: Josh had asked me if we could house Chad during that season.  I absolutely love Chad; in fact, I even have a pet name for him, which I have for all people I dearly love, so that's my proof.  And I wanted to say 'yes' so badly because 1) Chad needed a place to stay, and 2) we have extra beds and a bathroom.  The kicker was that my sister had been living with us for a while and she was just moving out -- they would probably even overlap for a few days.  Adding up their time combined, we would have had house guests in our home for a full year, which was a long time for me to not be able to feel the freedom to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, in my own house, especially after we had also just lived with Dad for 9 months.  Could we have housed people for a year?  Absolutely!  Would it have been best for the Monroe Marriage?  Probably not.  So, we heard that Leah's family had offered, and so we said 'no'.  And oh gosh, it was painful, but deep down, I really knew that was the best answer for us.

Did Chad manage without living at our house?  Umm, absolutely.  Was he mad that was said no?  Not at all.  Was it the best decision?  100% yes...Chad and Leah met each other, and Josh and I had a few months alone before that sister (who will remain nameless) moved back in for a few months before SHE got married!  It's comical, really...

And none of that would have happened if I'd said 'yes'.  

"...and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. ²⁰ For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory."

We all prefer to hear 'yes', don't we?  It usually means that we're getting what we want.  And look at what this says about God.  He definitely gives a sure answer, yes or no, but He loves to say 'yes' to us.  And He did through Jesus. 

God, will I ever get out of this depression?  Yes.
Lord, will I ever feel peace and joy again?  Yes.
Father, will I ever be able to quit thinking about myself and focus more on others?  Yes. 
Abba, will I ever be done with the craziness of this world?  Yes.

Through Jesus Christ.

Whatever our concerns, the answer is found in Jesus Christ.  God smiles and says 'yes' through Him.  As these verses remind us, the Lord ALWAYS does what He says He'll do, and ALL of His promises are completely fulfilled.  

Can we let that sink in?  Your God will do what He says He'll do today and forever, and He fulfills EVERY single promise to us.  So if you ever question either of those statements, the answer is always, always, always... 'yes'.  :)

2 Corinthians 1:12-14 (Loving Conflict)

¹² We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. ¹³ Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, ¹⁴ even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.

If you'll recall, Paul is writing this letter to the Corinthians because he had sent them a previous letter that was apparently quite severe, urging them to remain Christ-centered in their beliefs and conduct.  I think it was probably a loving but strict disciplinary letter, and it was not received as Paul had hoped. (Does this surprise us?  It's pretty normal for people to get mad at us for pointing out their short-comings -- we are usually doing the 'bad stuff' we're doing because we like it!)  To make matters worse, some men then came to their town claiming to be apostles, but were instead false teachers, who challenged Paul's teachings and even his authority as an apostle.  The people are turning away!

So, you could say Paul is in a bit of a conundrum.

For the next 2 chapters, he is trying to prove his authority as well as his love for these people, since he had spent 18 months with them when he first came to Corinth.  They know him.  But as soon as he was no longer with them, it appears that many have gone back to their old ways.  Oh, how we need a Shepherd, don't we?

Paul's visit made him sad to see how they were living; so he sent a stern letter; that backfired and now people have really turned away from him.  And now here, in these verses, we get to see how Paul is choosing to move forward with these people.

"We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings."  Here is what he does have going for him.  He knows deep in his own heart, and with no shame or regret, that he has lived a holy life (with God's help) and has been genuine and honest in what he does.  If we're going to lovingly point out the sin in someone else's life, or even just spur them on to doing something better, we had better be a living example ourselves!  In order to do this, we need to know what it means to live a holy life, and we need to choose to be genuine and honest in everything, not making ourselves out to be better than we are.

We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom.  Ahhh, yes.  Here's another kicker.  Keep the pride low!  When confronting another, we need to remember "there but for the grace of God go I."  Anything good in my life, including my choices, is a gift from God.  He is the one who allows me to even understand His wisdom and gives me the desire to do things His way.  I am nothing, absolutely nothing, without Him.  And may I remember my own sin, because even on our holiest days, we are still not perfect.  May I get my mind in THAT position before I ever talk to someone about their short-comings.

Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand.   And let's be sure of this -- no beating around the bush or using fancy, highfalutin words that make us feel powerful and the other person feel small.  There is nothing that erks me more than being around people who use words and knowledge I don't understand and obviously feel superior by doing so.  Instead, I want to think about my audience, and let my eyes and tone do the talking as for the condition of my heart.

I hope someday you will fully understand us, ¹⁴ even if you don’t understand us now.  Here is the most challenging part of all: you can do all of these things perfectly, but the results are still out of your control.  As much as we may wish good for someone, they have to wish it for themselves, too.  We can't be more invested in them than they are!  And so, I like how Paul has put it all out there, but then releases the result to God.  He also gives the people the respect to still make their own choices, but he gently lets them know his hope for them.  Wow.  Thank you for that example, Paul.

Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.   He still has hope for them, that when Jesus returns, they will be following Him once again.  It's quite obvious he's not giving up on these people or leaving them completely on their own and washing his hands of them.  And even with all that is going on, he reminds them that he is proud of them.  He is proud for what they have done, and he loves them deeply.

What a great example this is for me as I encounter people today.  And perhaps you have a situation that needs straightening or a conversation that needs to occur...may this be fresh in our minds as we continue one step closer to living like Jesus.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (The God of All Comfort, Part 3 -- Final)

⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

In verse 8, Paul doesn't go into any detail about what the problems were exactly that they encountered.  We only know from the following sentence that he felt under great pressure, far beyond his own ability to continue, and he wished he were dead.  Does that sound at all familiar to you?  Read that again.  If you are experiencing one or all three of those feelings right now, listen up.  The Bible has a power-packed sentence coming in just a moment for you.

In verse 9, he says "we felt we had received the sentence of death."  Perhaps you are either 1) experiencing a situation in work or at home where it feels like a death sentence; 2) someone close to you has actually been given a death sentence; or 3) you have been told that your days left are few on this earth.  Whatever your current scenario may be, here comes the "But."

"But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God..." 

The Lord wants us to trust Him no matter what, and He gives us opportunities to do this daily, but some of those 'opportunities' are definitely more difficult than others.

After the D&C, I felt so empty.  Up to that point, I still had a baby that I carried -- whether it was alive or dead.  But when I woke up from the procedure, I immediately sobbed.  Someone had died (a few days before), the body was not gone, and he or she took a little part of my heart with them.  The weight of death pressed heavily in those moments.

Now, as I see friends, co-workers, and strangers all around me with their healthy pregnancies and new born babies, it is so hard to not want to run away to a deserted beach somewhere for the next few seasons.  I find myself not even wanting to be around them at all because it is a painful reminder of my own loss.  I ask myself if it is some sort of sick joke that some dear friends of ours just let us know they are pregnant and are due one day after our due date would have been.  Really, Lord?  How am I supposed to go on?  And that's when I remember...

"But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God..." 

And let's not over look the four words that come right after that statement,  "But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."  There are multiple places in Scripture where that four-word phrase is added.  And why?  It is a reminder of His POWER.  He is the only being who can restore cold, lifeless bodies to life again.  THAT is the kind of power my God has!  Surely, if He can do that, He can teach me what I need to learn from this incredibly sad experience, and He will.  He can do anything!

¹⁰ "He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us"  This is a great reminder to us -- we are not perfect.  When we sink back into our cycles of fear, sadness, and worry, He will come and deliver us.  Again and again.  He will always be continuing to deliver us (that's present tense).  So often as Christians, we think that because we have Christ and are full of joy, we should never be sad.  Not true.  Wait, you didn't catch that.  NOT TRUE!  Tears were created by God, and they have a purpose -- they cleanse.  So let them flow...or as Josh loves to quote, "It's just my awesomeness oozing out."  And some days, boy, I have an awful lot of awesomeness!  And even in those moments, when the tears have been steadily flowing again and again and again, God comes to us.  He comes, He comforts, He rescues, and He delivers us from the trappings of this world.  It is on Him and His plan for our eternity that we have set our hope.  

¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.  So, what if you're not going through a down-season right now?  You have a job to do, too!  Prayer.  Praying and believing.  Just as people prayed for us and we FELT God's presence, peace, and comfort in the most difficult of moments, we all need to be praying for one another.  And when God answers those prayers, then we can be filled with gratitude for his gracious favor.  He does answer our prayers.

Please let me know how I may be praying for you, my friend.  If you are going through a difficult season, may I walk beside you?  And my prayer is that you will choose to take time to be still and silent with God, tears and all, and let Him give comfort to your heart.  He has so much for you in this season, and He is walking beside you, leading you through the darkness, in the midst of the pain.  Turn to Him.