Monday | Suffering and Glory | August 31

August 31: Monday — Suffering and Glory

Bible Focus

• 2 Corinthians 4:7–18
• Revelation 20:14
• Revelation 21:4
• 2 Corinthians 5:1–10
• 1 Corinthians 15:52

Summary

• Paul knew that he was like a fragile clay jar, but God had placed His treasure in him.
• He faced pressure, confusion, persecution, and suffering, yet he was never completely defeated.
• Paul endured because he knew that his suffering for Christ could reveal the life and power of Jesus in him.
• His suffering also reminded him that death is not the end, because resurrection is ahead.
• Paul saw that our present life contains both suffering and life, but God will one day remove death forever.
• God uses weak human beings to share the gospel so that the glory belongs to Him, not to them.
• Paul called his present troubles light and temporary when compared with the eternal glory God has promised.
• He therefore learned to look beyond what he could see and trust what God had promised.
• His hope rested in the day when God will give His people a new body and raise them to immortal life.

Question

• Why should I keep the hope of the resurrection before me when I am suffering today?

Answer

• The resurrection reminds me that my present suffering is temporary, while the glory God promises is eternal.

Reflection

• When life becomes difficult, am I looking only at what I see, or am I still holding on to God’s promise of resurrection?

Takeaway

• Do not let today’s suffering make you forget tomorrow’s glory; keep your eyes on Christ and the resurrection He has promised.