Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Wednesday, December 17, 2 Corinthians 5:6a

"So we are always of good courage."

As I read the next two verses, I realized that verse 6b made much more sense connected with verse 7 than with this portion, so I'll be working on them together tomorrow.

Today, I thought it good to dwell on the "light afflictions" facing the apostle, so you get an idea of what "good courage" meant to him:

"Five times I received at the hands of Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure." (2 Corinthians 11:24-27)

While I'm writing this, I think about how I asked for prayer because I was sick and needed to have a good voice for a Christmas concert. Can you imagine what Paul's back must have looked like? Can you imagine a guy like this coming to your church telling you to "rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice?" Or, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me?"

Can you imagine some of those TV evangelists, instead of coming out of their private jets to preach health and wealth confronting the Apostle Paul? They would probably look at him with disdain, just like those people coming to Corinth and belittling him. Probably rebuking him for not having enough "faith". And we would not even know about these things if he didn't have to defend himself in this letter!

Instead of relating his "prowess" as a "super apostle", he said in 11:30: "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness."

Later, after having been given a glorious revelation of heaven, whether in or out of body, he did not know, we find this: "So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being conceited." (2 Corinthians 12:7)

So what did he do? "Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me." (8)

And what answer did he receive? "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."" (9a)

So was his response a cry of despair? Angry that "God had let him down?" No:

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (9b-10)

Does that sound like an approach that would win souls to Christ to you? Where is the "victory in Jesus" here? This is a great principle that we need to learn. The victory is that when the lost souls see you suffer as they do in this dark, wicked world, they see the eternal hope that rests in you. That there is far more to life than this weary wilderness of sin and despair. There is an eternity—an eternity we see ahead of us!

"and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." (Romans 8:17)

And our testimony is displayed by how we put our weaknesses into His strong hands. And because of Him, we can always be of good courage.

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

*ESV used unless noted*

Memory Helps:

"So we are always of good courage."

Seven simple words to learn today, but words that will impact you for the rest of your life. And each trial you face, today or any day, repeat these words, for you have Christ with you forever.

To help remember that this begins verse six, you can rhyme with "fix". We are always of good courage, for he will "fix" everything when we see Him face to face. And raise your "five-fingered" hands to him between two Corinthian pillars as we say it, to remember 2 Corinthians "five", verse six.