THE DAILY BLUEPRINT - 1.16.09

Down?
2nd Corinthians 4.8-9
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed!

Today's verse gives all of us hope -hope that God is always gonna be there - that God will never leave nor forsake us - that He would leave the 99 to go after #100 - that even as we suffer in this life - we will not lose hope - for our hope is in CHRIST! The beginning devotional series this year talked about hope - and here comes the subject again -there is a reason - today many are suffering - many feel as if they have lost all hope -many feel left behind or forgotten - there seems not to be much love these days - with the economy facing hard times, people losing their jobs, and layoffs and everything else - this makes people down because that's where they put their hope- many want a perfect life free from trouble - however JESUS warned us that in this life we would have trouble - and in today's verse Paul writes about it - we have all been there -down in the dumps - some however cannot seem to get out of the shed of their lives - they are stuck - looking for hope in many things - but only true hope is found in our Lord JESUS! Only HE can save us - only HE lived the perfect life - He is not waiting to punish us - He loves us - He allows what He allows for His purpose - the problem is many of us are so focused on our circumstances -we cannot see the Light at the end of the tunnel - if you are down today - just look up - JESUS is with you - HE will never leave you - there is nothing that can take His love away from you! I paid the price and He is our hope -- apart from HIM we can do nothing (John 15:5) But in HIM we can do all things (Phill 4:19) God is with us therefore who can be against us? Only GOD can bring us hope and only GOD can lift us up when we are down!
BUILDING MOMENT: WHERE OUR FOCUS IS DEPENDS ON WHERE OUR TRUST IS - WHOM DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN YOU NEED HELP?
Because we have CHRIST - we have HOPE, PEACE, LOVE, JOY.....
1.16.09 - Building on the WORD
EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE GOD HAS LEFT YOU - HE IS CLOSER THEN YOU THINK! JUST TRUST IN HIM - HE IS THERE - ALWAYS!