Never Old or Damaged December 16, 2015

Read 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

2 Corinthians 4:16      Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Jeremiah 45:3     You said, 'Woe to me! The LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.'

Romans 7:22     For in my inner being I delight in God's law;

2 Corinthians 4:1    Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Colossians 3:10     and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

1 Peter 4:14      If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

I recall a lovely flowering red Flamboyant tree standing beside a bridge near the highway in my town. What a sight to behold! One morning a construction crew cut down the tree in order to widen the road. Only the stump remained. How sad! The beautiful flowering tree was gone.

More than 40 years have passed, and the tree has refused to die. The stump has grown into a tree even more lush than before. Its branches are strong, and now we gaze again upon the beautiful tree with red flowers.

We too experience tribulations and illnesses. Our outer nature may change because of damaging life experiences. But through our faith in God, we are renewed day by day.