September 30 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

2 Corinthians 4:

¹Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
²But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
³But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
⁴In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
⁶For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
⁸We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
⁹Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
¹⁰Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
¹¹For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
¹²So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
¹³We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
¹⁴Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
¹⁵For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
¹⁶For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
¹⁷For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
¹⁸While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Devotional

Who is this that speaks of the affliction of God's children as being light, and only for a moment? Is real affliction ever light? And one sleepless night in great pain, does that seem like a mo­ment? Does not the psalmist say, "For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me?" And again "Day and night thy hand was heavy upon me?" In our sorrow and anguish of soul do we not exclaim: "O Lord, how long?"

Or did not the writer that called our affliction light know by experience what affliction is? He certainly did. It is the apostle Paul. Listen to him. We read in our chapter: We are troubled on every side, we are perplexed, persecuted, cast down, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake. And what a catalogue of sufferings is recorded in the eleventh chapter of this epistle: He was imprisioned, was beaten and stoned, in deaths often, suffered shipwreck, there were perils on land and sea in the city and in the wilderness; among the heathen and false brethren. There was weariness, painfulness, hunger, thirst, cold, nakedness. In addi­tion to this a thorn in the flesh was given him, the messenger of Satan to buffet him. In spite of all this Paul says, Our affliction is light and only for a moment. How so? He compares it with the heavenly and everlasting glory, which our affliction works for us. What is our brief span of life compared to all eternity? And what is all our suffering compared to that (now notice the words) "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory!" Com­pared to this our affliction in light.

Prayer

O God, our Father, grant us grace to be patient in tri­bulation. May we look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. So may we endure affliction and not despair; but persevere unto the end in true faith, when we shall be permitted to go to him, in whose presence is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Ps. 38:4; 32:4; 6:3; 2 Cor. 11:21-28; 2 Cor. 12:7; 4:17.

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