Day 246 Bible Readings – 2 Corinthians 6: 14 (ESV)

Isaiah 3 & 4, 2 Corinthians 6, Psalm 125

2 Corinthians 6: 14 (ESV)

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”

Verse 14 from 2 Corinthians 6 is Paul’s reminder to the Church of Corinth to be careful to not themselves to be influenced by people who are not of the faith. This is a hard one for me as I have many friends who like Christ, but do not follow his teachings. They have nothing against Christ, but they have issues with religion and their own experiences with religion in their life. And it’s not just the Christian religion, it’s all forms of religion that are problems for them. You would need to have a very strong faith in God and know yourself very well to know if you are being influenced by a person who is not of the faith. I don’t think it makes sense to give up all your non-Christian friends, at least not for me. But there are ways to mitigate this issue that seem to work. Have many friends with your similar faith to balance out the non-believer friends. Rely on your friends of faith to advise you on the serious issues of your life. Most importantly, feel free to adjust your plans as needed. Don’t be stuck on any one way to do this. Finally, consult with God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit first on any matter. Make God the compass of your life. God is your North Star and will always point you in the right direction for you and his plan for your life.

Day 245 Bible Readings – 2 Corinthians 5: 17 (ESV)

Isaiah 1 & 2, 2 Corinthians 5: 11-21, Psalm 124

2 Corinthians 5: 17 (ESV)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

In verse 17 from 2 Corinthians 5, Paul reminds the Church of Corinth that anyone who believes in Christ has become a new person. The person they were before is gone, and with their faith in Christ they have become a new person. Pastor David Guzik from Enduring Word writes “However, being a new creation doesn’t mean that we are perfect. It means that we are changed and that we are being changed.”

I know for myself that I often forget that as a person of faith in Christ, I am a different person. I was born into the faith, so I have very few memories of not believing in God. Instead, I have memories of trying to forget God ever existed although it didn’t work seem to work for very long. So for me to think of myself as a new person, I need to forget that I was a person who had very little faith in God. I feel that Holy Spirit is training me, challenging me, to live my life as a person who complete faith in God. Faith that God is responsible for all things in my life, good and bad. Faith that everything in my life is from God and that it is all there so I can deepen my relationship with him. This idea is hard to grasp and will probably take the rest of my lifetime to understand. I always go back to the question most people ask, “Why did God allow bad things to happen me?” And I am trying to be okay with the answer that “all things word for my good.” I feel like the theme in my life is to always find the light in the darkness of my life, to always look for the positive side, benefit, in anything that happens to me. This is the new creation that God is working through me and in me.

Day 244 Bible Readings – 2 Corinthians 5: 6-7 (ESV)

Micah 5-7, 2 Corinthians 5: 1-10, Psalm 123

2 Corinthians 5: 6-7 (ESV)

“So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

We are reminded by Paul in verse 6 from 2 Corinthians 5 that the Holy Spirit gives us confidence and courage that God is always at work in our life. Paul also reminds that even though we are at home in our early body, we are away from the Lord, and that we must strive to always have faith in God in our daily life. I believe Paul brings this point up because it seems to be easier to have faith in God when we are going through a season on troubles times. We pray for miracles, and we see miracles in our lives from God when he fulfills his promises to us. But how often do we cherish God and our faith in our every day walk with God? Do we have faith even when we are going through the small and mundane tasks of our lives? Are we on autopilot just going through the motions of our life and not thinking about God?

I know for myself that when my life is good, God is not the focus of my life like he is when I am in a season of affliction. I want to change that. I want to have a laser focus on God no matter what I am going through in my life, because I think it will deepen my relationship with God and bring me more peace. If am always focused on God, then maybe, just maybe, when trouble finds me, I won’t get so off kilter. It will be like any ordinary day because I’m always focused on God, and I will have my peace.

Day 243 Bible Readings – 2 Corinthians 4: 11 (ESV)

Micah 1-4, 2 Corinthians 4, Psalm 122

2 Corinthians 4: 11 (ESV)

“For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

Verse 11 from 2 Corinthians 4 shows Paul reminding us that living a life of faith may include suffering like Christ. Christ suffered much during his life when he was rejected by his people for preaching that he was the “son of God.” We have to know that when we proclaim ourselves as believers in Christ, we may experience the same kind of suffering that Jesus went through especially in the modern world. A person of faith does live a life of victory in many ways, but there is also much suffering in the call to follow Christ. I listened to a sermon today where the minister preached that to heed the call of Christ always involves a price that must be paid.

I was struck by this sermon because in my own my life in the last two years, I’ve been on a journey to deepen my relationship with God. Holy Spirit has been teaching me to be completely dependent on God for everything, and while this was something I thought I wanted, I did not know it would involve giving up my own spirit of independence. I prided myself on being independent, strong, and being smart enough to always figure everything out for myself. Giving up my independence has been so hard, and I still struggle with it. But I am learning that I can partner with God instead of having to do everything myself, and that I can always rely on God to help me. Relying on God makes things easier for me, but this is a new thing for me because I only asked God for help as a last resort. Now I am learning to consult with God first before I do anything. It’s a new thing, but I am finding that partnering with God makes things run so much smoother in my life. So yes, I have suffered in my pursuit of God but, I’ve also gained so many great things as well. Is it worth it? I think so, but I think each person of faith will have to make that decision for themselves.